Julia Hartley-Brewer is leaving Talk after a decade with the broadcaster, with Alex Phillips named as her replacement on the Monday to Thursday mid-morning programme.
The departure was confirmed by News Broadcasting on Thursday 12 November 2026. Hartley-Brewer will present her final show on Thursday 19 November, while Phillips takes over on Monday 23 November.
What has been confirmed
Hartley-Brewer joined the station in March 2016 and became one of its best-known political interviewers and presenters. The broadcaster says she is leaving to focus on other journalism projects and will continue to write opinion columns for The Sun.
In the announcement, she described her ten years at Talk as a privilege and thanked colleagues, production staff, listeners and viewers. She also said the station remained in good hands.
Phillips, who already hosts Talk’s Friday morning programme and presents occasional prime-time shows, will take over the Monday to Thursday slot. The station’s weekday schedule also includes Jeremy Kyle, Ian Collins and Kevin O’Sullivan.
Was Julia Hartley-Brewer pushed out?
There has been speculation online about the circumstances of her exit. However, neither the broadcaster’s announcement nor Hartley-Brewer’s public comments establish that she was dismissed or that any alleged workplace disputes led to her departure.
News Broadcasting has publicly described the move as a departure to pursue new projects. That is the stated explanation; the details of those projects have not yet been announced. It would be inaccurate to present rumours about the reason for her exit as confirmed fact.
Questions about Talk’s future
Her departure follows other high-profile changes to Talk’s presenting line-up. The Daily Express reported on 10 November, before the official announcement, that Hartley-Brewer was expected to leave. Its podcast also discussed speculation about Talk’s future, but no closure has been announced.
The broadcaster is instead emphasising continued investment and digital growth. In its 12 November statement, News Broadcasting reported 497,000 weekly radio listeners in the latest RAJAR figures and 50 million YouTube views during October 2026. These are figures supplied by the company, not independently audited by Fish 4 News.
For now, the confirmed development is a change of presenter, with Phillips set to take over the programme later this month. Any further explanation of Hartley-Brewer’s decision will need to be supported by evidence, rather than social media speculation.
