BBC Look East presenter Susie Fowler-Watt has decided to hang up her earpiece for the final time as she prepares to leave the corporation after 35 years.
Susie, one of the longest-serving presenters at the BBC, will host her final show on 18 December.
She joined the BBC in 1991, becoming a lead presenter in 1997, and said it had been a “privilege” to have “grown up” alongside audiences.
Robert Thompson, Director of Production for BBC Local, said: “Susie has made an outstanding contribution to the BBC and audiences across the East of England.”He added: “A trusted voice through both good times and challenging moments, she has championed the region and its communities with warmth, integrity and professionalism.
“We thank her for her dedication and lasting impact. She leaves us with our warmest of wishes and huge thanks.”Susie, 56, who lives in Norfolk, qualified as a psychotherapist in 2024 and now wants to concentrate on her new career.
“I have absolutely loved the job, but I’m now in a new chapter of life, and keen to focus my energy on my therapy work,” she said.
“Presenting the BBC’s 18:30 regional news programme has been such a privilege, as you’re very much part of your community and are invited into hundreds of thousands of homes every evening.
“I have grown up alongside our Look East audience, having become a lead presenter in my 20s,” she said.
“For me, it’s about being a voice for our viewers and seeking answers on their behalf.”Susie’s career at the BBC began at BBC Radio Surrey in 1991.
After going on to join the BBC political unit based in Westminster, she became the political correspondent for BBC Look East during a time when former Prime Minister John Major and many of his cabinet were MPs in the region.
During her career, she has interviewed eight prime ministers, including David Cameron a week before the EU referendum in 2016 and Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street in 2020 during the Covid pandemic.
Susie started presenting BBC Look East, the flagship regional news programme covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, in 1997.
She co-presented with Stewart White for 23 years, initially from St Catherine’s Close in Norwich, and then from The Forum following the BBC’s move there in 2003.However, Susie describes the most memorable interviews as those with people navigating “extraordinary” times.
“It is amazing what people can endure, what they can achieve and how they find light in darkness,” she said.
“It is telling those stories that has been so important to me.
“The Covid lockdown was a case in point – every day I was moved by how our communities came together, and it was our job to reflect that amid all the grim news.”Although she was the face of BBC Look East for nearly three decades, Susie emphasised the role of those behind the scenes.
“TV is all about the team. I may be the one on the screen, but behind the camera there are so many talented people – editorial and technical staff – who are unsung heroes,” she said.
“The team at Look East is simply brilliant and they have made this job a joy every day.”
Susie’s last bulletin will be at 18:30 GMT on BBC One on Friday 18 December.
