Louise Priest to leave Look East after 40 years at BBC

Louise Priest is a familiar face to all those who live in the east as she brings both the breakfast and lunchtime headlines on BBC Look East. 

Priest first joined the BBC in 1983 and her first role in the area was on BBC Radio Norfolk. 

She said part of her decision to step away from the role was the 4am starts. 

She told the BBC: "I feel I have made the right decision to go, but I'm also slightly nervous about life after the BBC.

"So many things have changed over the years. The way newsrooms are staffed, the advances in technology and of course the digital/online world.

"I have been so lucky to have a variety of jobs at the BBC it never occurred to me to leave but, after almost 40 years, I felt the time was right.

"The impact of the 4am starts on my home life was the biggest factor."

It comes after Mike Liggins announced he was also be leaving the BBC after 35 years on our airwaves. 

Mike Liggins will be leaving Look East (Image: Ian Burt)

The Look East presenter, who has made more than 6,000 reports for the show, will be on air until October 6.

"I have loved my time in radio and the immediacy of responding to news and situations," she said.

"TV is very different but I have enjoyed bringing the news to viewers over the years but it does sometimes go wrong.

"Many years ago a camera slowly slipped down, leaving me with just my eyes showing at the end of a TV bulletin."

A number of BBC local radio presenters have stepped away from their roles this year the most recent being Kirsteen Thorne who announced she would be leaving her breakfast show at the beginning of the month. 

Robert Thompson, the BBC's senior head of content production for the East and London, said: "Louise is a BBC East legend and has worked across so many of our radio and TV programmes across the region.

"Most recently she’s been waking up the region on TV during BBC Breakfast and I know that many of our viewers will really miss her, as will we.

"On behalf of us all, thank you."