Published: 20:18 BST, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 20:48 BST, 9 August 2026
BBC Weather's longtime presenters including Tomasz Schafernaker and Louise Lear are reportedly considering leaving the channel over plans for huge cuts by bosses.
As part of a focus on digital content, sources claim that bosses are planning to downsize their national weather team, leaving some of its most dedicated stars eyeing an exit.
It's thought that Tomasz, Louise and Darren Bett are considering voluntary redundancy over changes to BBC Weather that were announced last week. None of them have taken up the offer yet.
Bosses shared last week that they plan to 'make more of their much-loved local weather presenters,' meaning a reduction in the number of forecasts delivered by national presenters.
These new plans will reportedly include cuts to the number of national weather presenter roles from 11 to 4.5.
An insider claimed that the changes come as the traditional weather forecast has become 'less relevant,' with a focus on digital content coming from a 'need for more reporting than presenting.'
BBC Weather's longtime presenters including Tomasz Schafernaker and Louise Lear (pictured) are reportedly considering leaving the channel over plans for huge cuts by bosses
A source said: 'It's the end of an era for our weather presenting. The audience wants a bit of digital and TV – including a good old fashioned forecast.'
A weather presenter also told The Times that their team should be protected from the wider cuts that have impacted the BBC.
They said: 'The team is already very lean and punched above its weight for many years producing a huge amount of output across all platforms 24 hours a day. It isn't fair to compare it to the behemoth that is the rest of BBC News.'
Tomasz has been working at the BBC since 2000, while Louise has hosted bulletins for TV and radio for nearly 30 years.
Darren was chosen as one of the original launching team members for BBC News 24 in 1997 having previously spent three years working for local Look North.
The BBC shared that local presenters will play a key role in future TV weather broadcasts at lunchtimes and weekends.
The Today programme, BBC Breakfast, and the weekday editions of the News at Six will feature separate national forecasts from network weather presenters, as will the News at Ten for a trial period.