BBC weather presenter is leaving channel after 3 DECADES as she hosts final broadcast & says ‘it’s the right time to go’
A BBC weather presenter is leaving the channel after three decades – after hosting her final broadcast broadcast today.
Reinger, who joined the broadcaster in 1992, said it was the “right time to go”.
The 51-year-old from Oxfordshire started her career as a newsroom assistant at BBC Radio Nottingham, before spending 26 years presenting on BBC Look East.
In a heartfelt announcement, she said: “It hasn’t been an easy decision to leave my Look East and local radio family, but it feels like this is the right time to go.
“It has been a privilege to bring our viewers and listeners their local forecast for so many years.”
“Come rain or shine, we’ve shared lots of fun and laughter along the way”, she added.
“I feel very blessed to have been able to work in such a beautiful part of the country and to have such a special connection with those who live here.
“I’m always so touched when people feel they can just come up and talk to me in the street or the supermarket, like I’m an old friend – that has always meant so much to me.”
Recalling her first day at Look East in 1999, Julie wrote on the BBC: “I was so nervous because I was taking over from the lovely Ivor Moores, who the audience loved and he was such a good meteorologist.”
In a touching tribute to colleagues and viewers, she added: “I will miss my Look East family and the people watching and listening, very, very much.”
Robert Thompson, BBC senior head of content production for the east, praised the host’s cheerful broadcasts, describing her as a “trusted friend” to the British public.
He said: “Julie has been bringing sunshine to BBC Look East and to our BBC local radio stations across the region for the past 26 years.
“And even when the weather‘s been rocky Julie has guided us all through it as a trusted friend.
“We will miss her brightening our airwaves and we wish her lots of luck for the future.”
Reinger worked across a variety of local radio and TV programmes over the course of her career.
She joined Look East in 1999 doing lunch time and nightly forecasts – and also presented weather bulletins for six BBC Local Radio stations in the region including BBC Essex, BBC Three Counties Radio and BBC Radio Norfolk.
The host also presented the weather on BBC Radio Suffolk, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and BBC Radio Northampton.
She said: “There’s a lovely quote by AA Milne – ‘How lucky I am to have something, that makes saying goodbye so hard’.
“My time on Look East and local radio has been a very special something and I will miss my colleagues, and everyone watching and listening very much.”
Reinger’s final appearance on BBC Look East will begin at 6.30pm tonight.