Bill Turnbull has quit ‘BBC Breakfast’.
The 59-year-old host has revealed he’s decided to leave the early morning news show after 15 years to pursue some "exciting" new opportunities in TV and radio.
Speaking on this morning’s (02.09.15) show, he said: "It’s true, I will be leaving the programme at the end of January because 15 years is too long … Don’t worry, I’m not leaving for another five months."
He added: "It’s time for me to go and for someone else to sit on the sofa."
The former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ contestant – who said he’s leaving with "some sadness, but no regrets" – admitted he’s looking forward to spending more time with his bees once he leaves in January.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I have been neglecting my bees for far too long. They are on a farm, they were going to come up here to the Lakes where we live but it was too windy.
"They are down in Buckinghamshire, I don’t see them very often but they don’t seem to mind!
"I haven’t been able to keep chickens for a few years, so all these things will take up time.
"We are going to move to Suffolk with a bit of luck, it is where we have got family and friends, we have got to know Suffolk quite well in the last year and we like it so we are planning to move there."
Bill – who has sons Henry and Will and daughter Flora with his wife Sarah McCombie – confessed he won’t miss the early mornings and is excited about being able to stay up later at night.
He added: "My wife is consulted in all the big decisions and she is perfectly happy.
"We will manage to get rid of the 9.30 curfew which will be nice. It will be fun."
The announcement comes after former ‘BBC Breakfast’ host Susanna Reid quit the show last year in favour of ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’.
Bill Turnbull quits BBC Breakfast
