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Kay Burley, the face of Sky News known for her tenacious interviewing but also some high-profile gaffes, has announced her retirement.
The veteran broadcaster, who has been with Sky News since it began in 1989, bowed out after hosting her last Sky News Breakfast programme on Wednesday morning.
Burley, 64, told viewers: “After covering 12 separate general elections – including Sir Keir Starmer’s victory last year – I am retiring from Sky News. Let politicians of every party just rejoice at that news.”
During her time at Sky News she frequently made politicians look foolish with persistent and straight-talking questions. But Burley herself has often been the centre of ridicule for her behaviour and sometimes crass remarks.
In November 2019, she “empty-chaired” the then Conservative party chair, James Cleverly, after claiming he had missed a planned appearance on her breakfast show. The Tory MP responded that he was not due to appear.
During the Covid crisis she was taken off air for six months after hosting a 60th birthday party that broke lockdown rules. She later admitted she had been an “idiot” for breaching the rules.
Her comments during momentous news events were sometimes hyperbolic. In the midst of Sky coverage of the 9/11 attacks she told viewers: “If you’ve just joined us, the entire eastern seaboard of the United States has been decimated by a terrorist attack.”
After terrorist attacks on Paris in 2015 she tweeted an image of dog who she claimed had “sadness in his eyes”. She remained characteristically defiant about the comments, telling the Guardian: “It never haunted me. Dogs do reflect their owner’s emotions. If people don’t understand how animals feel, I have sadness in my eyes for them.”
In the same interview she referred to her working-class background. She said: “I’ve always been something of a Wigan street fighter. Always tried to prove myself, always had sharp elbows. That’s served me well as I’ve come up through the ranks. Am I combative? Only when I need to be. I get paid a good salary to ask the hard questions that people at home would want answered.”
During the Scottish independence referendum she called a campaigner “a bit of a knob”. And in 2008 she reportedly grabbed a female photographer by the throat after being hit in the face with a camera.
In her farewell remarks, Burley said: “From a standing start to one of the most recognised and valued brands in global news, it’s been an honour and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest-working teams in the business.”
She added: “News by its very nature is often devastating and together we’ve covered so many life-changing events … But after over a million minutes of live TV news – more than anyone else in the world – it’s time for me to indulge in some of my other passions, including my love for travel.”
She also thanked her viewers, saying: “I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your support over the last three and a half decades. You’re awesome.”
