Veteran Journalist Matt Cooper has insisted quitting The Tonight Show isnt a move into retirement.
The Today FM presenter announced his shock departure from the current affairs show late on Tuesday night.
Cooper, 55, said he wanted to reduce his working hours to enjoy more flexibility in the evenings after his radio show The Last Word finishes at 7pm.
He added: I had been thinking about it for a while.
“I suppose over the last year and a bit with Covid, we had to split the presenters on the programme and the production teams for Covid reasons so instead of being on four nights a week, we could only be on two nights a week each.
That then suddenly meant I was quite enjoying the other two nights being off and doing only two nights and then with Covid coming to an end hopefully and looking to the future and the possibility of having to go back to four nights, I was thinking, Hang on here, five nights on radio and then four nights on television really isnt as enjoyable.
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I wouldnt be able to sit down in the evenings, read books, watch television, watch football, go to the golf driving range I took up golf a year ago.
“I just thought Ive done a lot, and this is demanding. Maybe I needed to ease off.
But Matt said his sudden exit is not a step towards retirement.
He added: Its not like Im retiring. I still have my commitments to the radio show which I greatly enjoy.
There are other things I want to do but I want to do them in a more, well I cant say 9 to 5 because I dont finish the radio work until 7, but I really want to work more of a 9 to 7 day than getting home until near enough midnight, particularly when youre always on during the day as well, keeping abreast about what is going on with the news as well.
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I had the realisation of four enjoyable years, but it has been tiring, there is only so much I can do.
A replacement for Matt has not yet been announced, with Virgin indicating that this would take place when it launches its new season of programming in the autumn.
Potential internal candidates might include its main news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick, who has previously presented current affairs shows for the channel, and political correspondent Gavan Reilly as well as stalwart Claire Brock.
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