Kay Burley, one of the most-recognizable television journalists in the United Kingdom, is retiring from Sky News after 36 years.
Burley served on the original launch team for the channel, which debuted on February 5, 1989. Then, Sky News was attempting something few others had tried — a rolling, 24-hour channel dedicated to breaking news, politics and original journalism, with coverage of stories that the BBC and Britain’s newspapers shied from.
Over time, Burley has covered some of the biggest domestic and international news stories from Sky’s London studios, including the death of Princess Diana, numerous royal weddings and births, jubilee celebrations, the passing of Queen Elizabeth, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2012 London Olympics and the terror attack that preceded them by several years.
In 2001, Burley was the first television journalist to report that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. After it became apparent that the crash was not an accident, Burley led Sky’s coverage of the unfolding terrorist attack in New York City and later in Washington and Pennsylvania for hours. Her coverage played a large part in the channel’s winning of a prestigious BAFTA award that year.
“From a standing start to one of the most-recognized and valued brands in global news, it’s been an honor and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business,” Burley said on her final broadcast on Wednesday.
The channel changed hands in September 2018, becoming a part of the American telecommunications giant Comcast, which purchased Sky’s television operation in the United Kingdom and several other countries. Over the past few years, the channel has reoriented itself into a major global news operation, with distribution via streaming to more than 200 countries and territories.
One year after the Comcast acquisition, Burley was promoted to host the channel’s morning news program “Sky News Breakfast.” There, she reinvented herself into a sharp-witted interviewer who pulled no punches, particularly with politicians. Her direct line of questioning was something unseen on British television until then, and she developed a new kind of following on air and online, one where even her critics continued to tune in because they wanted to see what she would ask next.
“After covering 12 separate general elections, including Sir Keir Starmer’s victory last year, I am retiring from Sky News – let politicians of every party just rejoice at that news,” she quipped on Wednesday.
She promised to keep in touch with viewers over social media, but the reaction from her retirement announcement proved she will be sorely missed on television.
“With millions of minutes presenting live rolling news, Kay’s legacy in television journalism is unmatched, as is her commitment to Sky’s legacy,” David Rhodes, the Executive Chairman at Sky News, said in a statement. “I’m sure some MPs in Westminster will sleep easy knowing they won’t face her indomitable questioning in the mornings. We thank Kay for her huge contribution to Sky, to the art of the interview and to British journalism, and we wish her the best of luck.”
That’s how long she worked at Sky News! Wishing @KayBurley all the best for whatever comes next. pic.twitter.com/xxL3IhYy3A
— Simon McCoy (@SimonMcCoyTV) February 5, 2025
Beth Rigby, the channel’s political editor, said “no one does live telly like Kay Burley.”
“Our anchor woman for decades, Kay’s has been THE face of Sky News for as long as I can remember,” Rigby said. “She’s been a trailblazer and inspiration to a whole generation of women. You’re one of a kind.”
“Kay is unique, there are no other women of her background who have had such an impact on British News and current affairs,” Adam Boulton, the former editor-at-large for Sky News, wrote on social media. “We have been friends and colleagues for forty years. Onward Kay I know it’s going to be exciting.”
