Giles Coren leaves job presenting BBC 2’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby alongside Monica Galetti after Twitter row
- BBC presenter Giles Coren departs Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby
- Mr Coren, 53, told fans he had to choose between his new baby or another series
- He had faced backlash following alleged tweets ‘mocking’ death of a journalist
TV presenter Giles Coren has left his job at the BBC after a Twitter row, The Mail+ has revealed.
Mr Coren, 53, had co-presented BBC2’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby with Monica Galetti prior to his departure.
He announced he would be moving on from the broadcaster due to a ‘diary clash’, and praised the BBC for the ‘beautiful’ way it has handled his move.
The corporation will now seek a new presenter for the role, with sources indicating they will look for someone who is ‘the opposite of Giles’.
The BBC said in a statement: ‘We’re sorry to see Giles go and would like to thank him for his contribution over four successful series.’
It is understood Mr Coren’s position had become untenable following a brutal Twitter row almost exactly a year ago today, which began with the death of female journalist Dawn Foster – and ended with complaints to the independent press watchdog.
Giles Coren, 53, had co-presented BBC2’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby with Monica Galetti (pictured together) prior to his departure
The presenter announced he would be moving on from the broadcaster due to a ‘diary clash’, and praised the BBC for the ‘beautiful’ way it has handled his move
Mr Coren had sparked a backlash after posting tweets apparently celebrating the death of Ms Foster, who had been critical of his career and previous comments.
Miss Foster had accused him getting his job as a Times restaurant critic and columnist because of his famous father Alan, so Coren retaliated online.
He tweeted: ‘When someone dies who has trolled you on Twitter, saying vile and hurtful things about you and your family, is it okay to be like, “I’m sorry for the people who loved you, and any human death diminishes me, but can you f*** off on to hell now where you belong”?’
Coren’s north London house was also daubed in graffiti and dog faeces just 24 hours after he deleted tweets apparently telling the Left-wing journalist to ‘f*** off to hell’ and calling her a ‘troll’ after she died suddenly at the age of 34.
Despite both tweets being deleted soon after they were set live, they had sparked a deluge of complaints to the Times newspaper, the BBC and IPSO.
Last year it was confirmed that the journalist would not be probed over his tweets, after IPSO said the posts did not fall within their remit as they did not come from an account regulated by a newspaper.
Speaking as news of his departure became official, a source told Mail+ how his position had become unsustainable.
They said: ‘We are now looking for a replacement for Giles. The person has to be as unlike Giles Coren as possible.’
In a post shared to Instagram earlier this month Coren told his 48,000 followers of his decision to stop filming the next series of Amazing Hotels.
He said: ‘I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I’ve had a knee-trembling new television series commissioned that has the potential to be by far the best thing I’ve done on telly.
‘The bad news is that, in terms of scheduling, I have had to choose between this new baby and another series of Amazing Hotels.’
He later thanked the BBC, saying: ‘The beautiful way you have gone about this changing of the guard means so, so much to me.’
Mr Coren has been approached for comment.
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