Former Countryfile presenter Miriam O’Reilly is to leave the BBC a year after her landmark ageism win while Vijay Sharma, Head of BBC Asian Network, has also announced that she is leaving her post after twenty years at the station.
O'Reilly is leaving 12 months into a three-year deal with the BBC to explore other opportunities and set up a support network for women facing discrimination in the workplace. Over a year ago and employment tribunal ruled in her favour after she was axed from Countryfile because of her age. She then returned to the BBC co-hosting Crimewatch Roadshow.
O'Reilly said: "I have had a rewarding time at the BBC over the last year but am now choosing to move on and work on other projects for a while including my charity, Women's Equality Network."
O'Reilly is setting up the Women's Equality Network with the lawyer who secured her tribunal victory, Camilla Palmer. The website, which launched next month, will offer support to women facing discrimination in the workplace.
A BBC spokesman said: "We would like to thank Miriam for her work on BBC television and radio and we wish her well in her new challenges but hope that there will be opportunities to work together again in the future.
Vijay Sharma leaves the broadcaster to to pursue interests in the Health, Cultural and Charity sectors. BBC Asian Network is the most listened to Asian Radio service in the UK and reaches 507,000 listeners a week.
Sharma said, “It has been my absolute honour to have held this position and I am proud to leave the station in such great shape. I have had the privilege of working with so many talented individuals – a group of hardworking, creative and inspirational people who are a credit to the BBC. The Asian Network has played a pivotal role in providing a platform to the British Asian artists, creative and journalistic talent. I am hugely proud of this.”
Tim Davie, Director of BBC Audio & Music, said: “Vijay has always been a formidable champion for the Asian Network, her staff and British Asian audiences over the years. She leaves a strong legacy as a creative leader whose team are delivering strong results and have proved themselves to be an important part of Audio and Music and the BBC.”
Under her leadership, the Asian Network has signed a hugely diverse range of on and off-air talent, including; Sonia Deol, Bobby Friction, Tommy Sandhu, Nihal, Anita Rani, Adil Ray, Nikki Bedi, Noreen Khan, Jas Rao, Shabina Akthar, Aasma Mir, Rahul Tandon, Alison Mitchell, Lee James, Ade Adedoyn and Raj & Pablo to name a few.
Good luck to both in their future endeavours.
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