Who is replacing Laura Kuenssberg and where is she going?

BBC viewers are wondering who is replacing Laura Kuenssberg and where is she going? The presenter is preparing to step down as the BBC's Political Editor after more than six years amid a new role in September.

Laura, who has interviewed politicians and reported on big events including Brexit and Boris Johnson's "Partygate" is expected to finish her time as Political Editor by covering May’s local elections and she will also be cutting back on her commitments to other outlets such as the Newscast podcast.

We look at who is taking over as Political Editor at the BBC when Laura leaves...

Who is replacing Laura Kuenssberg?

Details of who is replacing Laura Kuenssberg as BBC's Political Editor is expected shortly - Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge and the former Guardian political editor Anushka Asthana are among those waiting to hear if they have been picked to take over the role.

Until her replacement, Laura continues to promote political news stories on her social media, she tweeted, "And there it is - Met referrals for fines over partygate - Op Hillman - Covid-19 regulation breaches update | Metropolitan Police."

And in her latest BBC article, she wrote, "This won't be the last article I write, but it will be the last one in my job as the BBC's political editor. Before I move on, I've been trying to piece together some of the seismic events that have taken place - the Brexit referendum, the pandemic, Jeremy Corbyn's stormy leadership of the Labour Party, three different prime ministers.

"It was an extraordinary period, and to help make sense of some of it, I've been comparing notes with five politicians, all of whom were, in one way or another, central to the political battles that went on."

Where is Laura Kuenssberg going?

Laura Kuenssberg is going to replace Andrew Marr as the permanent host of the BBC’s Sunday morning political interview programme when the show has a re-launch in September with a new set, title, format, and title music. The move is part of a reshuffle of the broadcaster’s on-screen staff that has seen high-profile stars such as Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel leave the corporation creating a cascade of vacancies.

And it comes after Andrew Marr, quit the Sunday morning political show after 16 years, to host a new daily show on the radio station LBC.

Laura beat off competition for the role from Sophie Raworth who has guest-hosted the BBC show since but was overlooked for the role and she beat the long-term Radio 4 Today programme presenter Mishal Husain to land his former Sunday role, with a promise of a “new-look” format.

Laura had been in discussions about a move to the Today programme and it is expected she will receive a pay rise from her existing £260,000 salary as its former host Andrew Marr received £335,000 in his role.

Her new salary will be published alongside the BBC’s annual report in the summer.

Meanwhile, Mishal is tipped for other television roles as they become available in the coming years, with internal candidates already positioning themselves to replace Huw Edwards as the host of News at Ten.

The BBC's Sunday Morning Political Show is on Sundays at 9am.