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  • BBC bosses told me I was too old at 43 to host a major flagship job reveals top star as she leaves the broadcaster

BBC bosses told me I was too old at 43 to host a major flagship job reveals top star as she leaves the broadcaster

Published on March 25, 2025 at 10:01 AM

BBC bosses told me I was too old at 43 to host a major flagship job reveals top star as she leaves the broadcaster
Sally Magnusson: A 30-Year Legacy at BBC Scotland

A BBC STAR was told she was ‘too old' to host a major flagship show at just 43, as she prepares to leave the broadcaster.

Crimewatch was a stable of the broadcaster's schedule for decades with the late Jill Dando one of its presenters.

BBC logo on building exterior.
A top BBC star has revealed she was told by bosses she was ‘too old' to host Crimewatch
Sally Magnusson at the Specsavers National Book Awards.
Sally Magnusson by Beeb execs they wanted a younger person to replace the late Jill Dando
Jill Dando, television presenter, sitting on a bench.
Jill was gunned down outside her house in 1999

However, after she was brutally shot and killed on her own doorstep in 1999, BBC bosses sought to find her replacement.

Experienced broadcaster Sally Magnusson put herself forward for the role, aged 43.

But, she was told she was ‘too old' for the role – something which Sally only experienced once in her entire career.

Recalling the time, the 69-year-old said: “I got an embarrassed call from an executive saying they wanted somebody younger.

“It was a bit of a blow as it had never been stated to me so explicitly before.”

Sally was speaking as her time with the BBC is set to come to an end, as she steps down from Reporting Scotland after 27 years.

At the start of this year the veteran news presenter announced she was quitting the show.

In a statement, she said: “Leaving Reporting Scotland will be a real wrench after 27 years.

“I’ll miss the buzz and challenges of live news presentation, which I’ve always adored.

“But although my focus now turns to a growing writing career, an expanding family, and my work arounddementia, I’m also looking forward to maintaining links with the BBC as a freelance broadcaster.”;

BBC star Jo Coburn has presented the BBC's daily weekday politics show - since it launched in 2018

BBC News' Biggest Blunders

BBC bosses told me I was too old at 43 to host a major flagship job reveals top star as she leaves the broadcaster 2

The Beeb has suffered a number of gaffes recently, here we take a look at the biggest, and funniest, mishaps to date:

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