BBC News star Rebecca Jones has spoken out and discussed the real reason she opted to ditch TV fame in favour of a brand new career.
The star was a prominent face of the BBC having covered a series of historical news events.
Rebecca Jones has opened up on quitting the BBC[/caption]
She left the high-pressured role to become a Barrecore instructor[/caption]
Rebecca found herself leading the coverage of the war in Ukraine, the London Bridge terror attack as well as being part of the team to cover the Queen‘s death.
In total, the mother-of-one spent 28 years working for the broadcaster and in the world of journalism but ultimately decided to quit the role for good just over a year ago in August 2023.
Her decision came amid a health scare in 2021 and deciding that she needed to find work that was less high-pressured.
In 2021, Rebecca found herself hospitalised after experiencing shooting pains and dizziness whilst at work.
Rebecca spent the night in A&E, where after being told she was suffering from burnout, was advised to stay off work for a month.
Working as both a news presenter and the show’s Art Correspondent at the time, Rebecca admitted that the health scare was a turning point and a wake-up call.
She said in The Times: “I also come from a generation of women who felt that to survive in the workplace you needed to plough on and deliver.
“But I recognised I was at a turning point.
“It gradually dawned on me that things had to change, not only for my health, but also for my happiness.”
She decided that she was committing to quitting her job but spent 18 months ‘marinading’ over her choices and what she wanted to do next.
It was during this time that Rebecca found the world of Barrecore – a workout that combines ballet, pilates and yoga.
She first said of finding the exercise: “Undoubtedly it helped my sanity and stamina while I was working in the hectic environment of the newsroom.”
Rebecca confessed that it was her “exasperated” husband that pushed her to look into becoming an instructor of Barrecore.
Amid worries of taking an intense pay-cut, she decided it was the right time given that her son had recently finished university and she felt under less financial pressures.
Having turned 58, she qualified as an instructor and now teaches close to 14 classes per week.
Tom Hanks helped to offer up advice to Rebecca as she made the life-changing decision to quit the Beeb[/caption]
Speaking about how the decision has drastically improved her health, Rebecca said: “I’m no longer at the beck and call of the news desk and I am in control of what I do.
“I sleep better, there are no more heart palpitations and after years in pain, my stiff neck and frozen shoulder have disappeared.”
Hollywood Star Connection
In an unusual move, one of the first people that found out about Rebecca’s desire to leave the BBC was acting superstar Tom Hanks.
Rebecca first met Tom when she interviewed him for the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
She first confided in him and then spoke to him about the decision once again months later when she hosted his book launch at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.
Reaffirming that he had listened and invested into what Rebecca had told him, Tom wrote in her very own signed book: “Good luck on that new adventure.
“Closer and closer to your status as a creature of a renaissance.”
BBC News’ Biggest Blunders
The Beeb has suffered a number of gaffes recently, here we take a look at the biggest, and funniest, mishaps to date:
- Maryam Moshiri flashing her middle finger during a live bulletin
- Tongued-tied sports presenter Chetan Pathak dropped an X-rated word during a report
- BBC Look North’s Peter Levy asked viewers “how big their holes are” during an innuendo-filled segment
- Newsreader Roger Johnson was left scrambling after saying “cuckoo c*ck” instead of clock
- BBC Breakfast’s Nina Warhurst mixing up the names of her co-hosts live on air
- The news correspondent is mistaken for shop staff and interrupted during the report
- Lukwesa Burak was left speechless after being caught stretching during a break
- Newsreader forced to run across the studio during epic camera mishap
Rebecca admitted her health had improved in the wake of changing jobs[/caption]
