BBC Breakfast presenter bids emotional goodbye to viewers as show ends its 30-year run

After more than 30 years on air, BBC Breakfast host Ben Thompson has announced the end of World Business News on the BBC News channel. In an emotional farewell on Tuesday 7 May, Ben revealed that the show would be rebranded as Business Today.

Viewers were quick to react on social media, with one fan calling it “the end of an era” and another asking if the iconic theme song would remain the same. Former colleagues, including CNN’s Richard Quest and BBC News presenter Maryam Roshiri, also shared their memories of working on the show.

The BBC World Business Report, which was launched in 1995, featured a lineup of presenters including Sally Bundock, Victoria Valentine, Samantha Simmonds, Alice Baxter, and Ben Boulos. The show aired multiple times during the week on BBC News and the BBC’s international news channels.

Ben Thompson took to Twitter to confirm the news, sharing the different logos used for World Business Report over the years. He expressed his gratitude for the show’s long run and announced the return of Business Today to BBC News.

As the curtains close on World Business News, viewers can look forward to a new chapter with Business Today, where they can continue to stay informed about money, markets, finance, tech, travel, and trade.