The BBC have confirmed that Newsnight is undergoing a major programming shake-up.
The overhaul comes after fears of major budget cuts, following reports that the BBC would reduce its TV team behind broadcasts of royal occasions and veterans' remembrance events to "just one member of staff".
The measure came as a result of the BBC needing to make £500 million in savings over the next two years - and cut up to 2,000 jobs in the process.
The BBC Two news and current affairs show will now air at a new peak time of 7.30pm on Friday instead of its usual 10.30pm from this Friday September 18.
Matt Chorley, who joined the Newsnight team in 2025, will present the programme each Friday evening.
Victoria Derbyshire and Paddy O’Connell will continue to present the Monday to Thursday episodes from 10:30pm.
Addressing the change, Chorley said: "Newsnight is thriving, and moving to a peak-time Friday slot gives us a brilliant opportunity to unpack the week’s biggest stories before the weekend kicks in.
“Politics has never been more complicated or contested, so every Friday night I'll bring viewers the perfect primer for what is really going on, with the best interviews and analysis that Newsnight viewers expect. And because it's Friday night, we’ll have some fun along the way and hopefully a few surprises too."
Last week, a staff member at Newsnight reportedly shared fears that the show would be axed completely.
"Everyone is concerned for Newsnight and how it will fare in the next cuts. We’ve been warned that there are likely budget reductions and revisions next year. It’s a worrying time,” they told The Sun.
The news programme, which was responsible for such landmark features as Emily Maitlis’s 2019 interview with Prince Andrew, has already faced a significant number of cuts.
In 2023, the number of staff was more than halved from 57 to 23, with the special investigations team being cut entirely and the show reduced in length to half an hour. The BBC merged the production teams on Newsnight and Sunday with Laura Kunessberg in June.
However, the BBC has now revealed Newsnight - which launched in 1980 - has continued to excel in ratings since its format was refreshed in 2024.
Its average viewing is up 11 per cent year-on-year and 22 per cent compared with before 2024, according to the broadcaster.
Their BBC iPlayer viewership has grown by 42 per cent year-on-year and by 173 per cent compared with pre-revamp levels.
"Newsnight has long been known for its forensic interviews and sharp insights, helping audiences make sense of the biggest stories shaping our world,” Newsnight’s executive editor Jonathan Aspinwall said.
"As more and more people discover Newsnight across the BBC’s platforms, they can expect even more news-making guests, fresh and exciting voices, and the conversations everyone will be talking about over the weekend."
