The BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler has emerged as the hot favourite to replace Mishal Husain on the Today programme.
Adler, 52, who recently interviewed former German chancellor Angela Merkel, is regarded as increasingly likely to be given the much-prized presenting role.
The BBC journalist is understood to have already been lined up with slots to present on Today in January and February.
While one well-placed insider claimed it was not yet a ‘done deal’, they admitted her appearances in the new year would give her a chance to ‘feel at home on the show’.
The planned appearances are being seen as a huge opportunity for her to secure the role. Insiders say they fully expect the new presenter to be a woman.
The vacancy has come about after Husain, 51, decided to quit the BBC to present a new interview series for Bloomberg.
Her departure, which came after 11 years on the Radio 4 show, has been seen as a huge blow to the corporation’s news division.
One senior industry insider said Adler, who has previously appeared on Today as a stand-in host, is ‘the name everybody is using’.
If Adler, who has been the BBC’s Europe editor since 2014, is appointed, she would join Nick Robinson, 61, Emma Barnett, 39, Justin Webb, 63 and Amol Rajan, 41, on the presenting team.
She first joined the BBC in 1998 and four years ago she was linked with taking a presenting role on Woman’s Hour.
In 2020, she was found to have breached the BBC’s impartiality rules after she tweeted that Michael Gove’s comments about how the Covid crisis might affect EU negotiators were ‘delusional’.
A BBC source told the Mail: ‘I don’t think it’s a done deal. But she’s clearly an option. She’s doing it in January and February so it will be great if she makes the most of that and begins to feel at home on the show.’
It is understood that Adler was already booked to appear before Husain’s departure, as the former Today host had been due to go on leave.
A well-placed industry insider said of Adler’s chances of replacing Husain: ‘That’s the only name everybody is using.’
Other internal names that have also been linked to the job include culture and media editor Katie Razzall, North America editor Sarah Smith and Any Answers? presenter Anita Anand.
External candidates that have also been linked to the job include ITV’s Julie Etchingham and Sky News’ Sophy Ridge.