Kay Burley, one of the most recognizable figures on U.K. news and a 36-year veteran of Sky News, has announced that she is retiring from the network.
She said it had been “an honour and a privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business” as she closed Sky News’ breakfast program on Wednesday, adding that the network’s news channel had gone “from a standing start to one of the most recognized and valued brands in global news.”
Burley first joined Sky News in 1989 and, in her time there, helped cover the death of Princess Diana, the 9/11 terror attacks in New York and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
In 2020, Burley was suspended from presenting The Kay Burley Show, which launched in 2018, after she was found to have breached COVID-19 lockdown restrictions to celebrate her 60th birthday.
“News by its very nature is often devastating and together we’ve covered so many life-changing events,” she said on Wednesday.
“But we’ve also enjoyed some wonderful high notes too, haven’t we – the thrill of London winning the chance to host the 2012 Olympics; a plethora of royal weddings; jubilees and who can forget days and days and days waiting for royal babies to arrive at the Lindo Wing.”
Burley added: “But after more than a million minutes of live TV news – more than anyone else in the world – its time for me to indulge in some of my other passions – including my love for travel.”
