Eddie Mair will return to the airwaves in a new daily drivetime slot on LBC from early September, it has been announced.
Mair, who had spent more than 30 years at the BBC, will host a new two-hour programme from 4pm on weekdays from September 3 on the radio station.
The 52-year-old, host of BBC Radio 4’s flagship evening programme PM since 1998, announced in July that he was leaving the corporation, and it was revealed soon after that he would be moving to the commercial talk radio station.
.@EddieMair, the award-winning presenter of @BBCRadio4's PM, is to leave the BBC after over 30 years: https://t.co/aWdICMHawL pic.twitter.com/HbcNp19fq2
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 1, 2018
Mair bowed out of the BBC in early August by presenting his radio show without revealing it was his final one, as he did not want any “fuss or faff” as he departed.
In a statement about his departure, Mair said: “It’s 31 years since I joined the BBC, 25 years since I first presented PM, and 20 since it became my main gig.”
He added, with a quip: “I thought this was the appropriate moment to step out and give someone else a chance, before I’m so old my sentences make no lasagne.”
Elsewhere on LBC’s autumn schedule, The Nigel Farage Show, which airs Monday to Thursday, will move to an earlier timeslot, jumping forwards by one hour to 6pm.
Iain Dale will host a new weekday evening show from 7pm until 10pm Monday to Thursday, which will see him “cover the big issues and breaking news of the day and feature high-profile guests from news and politics,” LBC said.
Eddie Mair joins LBC with a brand new show from September. #EddieMairOnLBC https://t.co/CqAvR0PosK
— LBC (@LBC) July 2, 2018
LBC has also announced a new late-night programme hosted by presenter Tom Swarbrick, who will trade his weekend breakfast show slot for the new broadcast. Swarbrick’s new show will air from Sunday to Thursday from 10pm until 1am.
Andrew Castle will step in to host the breakfast show at the weekend, from 7am until 10am. The presenter and former tennis star currently hosts the 3pm until 6pm slot at weekends.
James Rea, LBC’s managing editor, said: “LBC is home to the nation’s most respected and formidable broadcasters – and it’s terrific to welcome Eddie to our powerhouse presenting team.
“As we launch our new autumn schedule, LBC will continue to lead the way in opinionated and compelling speech radio, stimulating debate on the issues that people are really talking about.”