A TV version of popular BBC podcast Brexitcast has been commissioned to air on BBC One.
The programme, hosted by political editor Laura Kuenssberg, political correspondent Chris Mason, Europe editor Katya Adler and Europe correspondent Adam Fleming, will replace Andrew Neil’s This Week in the 11.30pm Thursday night slot from September.
It was announced in February that This Week will end in July after Neil stepped down from the role.
Brexitcast is the first BBC podcast to ever be commissioned for BBC TV.
🚨🚨🚨 SOUND THE KLAXON 🚨🚨🚨We have some very exciting news… #BREXITCAST IS COMING TO @BBCONE!
(and is the first podcast to be commissioned as a BBC television programme 👊) pic.twitter.com/iHZRyEASTX
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) June 13, 2019
Its format will remain the same, “delivering geeky and cheeky insights into the complicated world of Brexit from Westminster and Brussels”, the BBC said.
Brexitcast co-host Kuenssberg said: “Who says no-one’s interested in politics?! Brexitcast has grown and grown because our audience loves and deserves detailed explanations of enormous events, but likes a bit of devilment too.
“It’s an absolute thrill to bring the show to BBC One and a privilege to invite the legendary and committed This Week audience to join us, following on from Andrew, the supreme late-night host.”
So we have some news…….. thanks to #brexitcasters for all your support and we're so excited about inviting more people to the club! who shall we try to get on the show? https://t.co/ZKx57KJGRM
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) June 13, 2019
Series editor Dino Sofos said: “Our nerdy podcast has been on an incredible journey but we never thought that BBC One would come knocking! We’re over the moon that a bigger audience will now be able to find out about Adam’s Brexit binders and I’m really excited to be following in the footsteps of other podcasts including The Ricky Gervais Show and My Dad Wrote A Porno in making the move to the small screen.
“Crucially though, making a TV version of the podcast doesn’t mean the format will change… after all, Brexitcast means Brexitcast.”
Head of news output Gavin Allen said that the podcast and new programme is “exactly what political coverage should – and in this polarised climate – needs to be about: expert, accessible, treating politicians like grown-ups and politics as complex”.
Brexitcast won the listeners’ choice award at the British Podcast Awards in May.
The podcast will still be available to listen to and download on BBC Sounds as weekly episodes, with special emergency editions recorded when unpredictable Brexit developments take place.