Sarah Montague and Martha Kearney in BBC Radio 4 job swap

BBC Radio 4 presenters Sarah Montague and Martha Kearney are to swap jobs, with Kearney taking Montague’s role as one of the main presenters on the Today programme and Montague becoming lead presenter of World At One.

Montague has been a key member of the Today presenting team since 2001 while Kearney has hosted World At One since 2007.

The changes will take effect next month.

Montague said: “I am very excited to be moving to the World At One. It is a programme I have long admired and, much as I love the Today programme, after 18 years on it I am ready for a new challenge and looking forward to the experience of presenting a programme when I am awake.”

Kearney said: “I have woken up to the Today programme for as long as I can remember so it’s a thrill to be joining the BBC’s flagship news programme.

“After 11 happy years on the World At One, I’m looking forward to a new challenge – to draw on my years of political journalism but also to explore my other interests on air too.”

Montague began her BBC career in 1997 as a presenter on the BBC news channel and has since worked on Newsnight and BBC Breakfast.

She has also been a regular presenter of BBC World’s Hardtalk for 20 years.

Kearney joined the BBC as a reporter for On The Record before joining Newsnight, where she was political editor and presenter between 2000 and 2007.

She presented Woman’s Hour from 1998 to 2007.

Gavin Allen, controller of daily news programmes, said: “Sarah and Martha are brilliant journalists and we’re delighted they will continue to analyse and drive the news for our many millions of radio listeners.”

Gwyneth Williams, controller of Radio 4, said: “Both Martha and Sarah are formidable presenters admired by millions of loyal Radio 4 listeners.

“We are lucky to have them and I am delighted to have Martha on Today and for Sarah to have her own programme, the incomparable World At One.”