Bet on the Next Host of Question Time on BBC to be A Woman

David Dimbleby will leave the UK’s most popular political debate programme in December. He has been its chairman for 25 years and his departure is drawing public attention. Huge audiences are arguing about who Dimbleby’s successor will be, which of course inspired online betting sites in the UK to open bets on the next host of Question Time.

Numerous names have come up as potential candidates but online sportsbook news in the UK suggest that BBC will appoint a female host. As the Guardian points out, there is a substantial pressure on the corporation to choose one of their female journalists because the transparency of the selection procedure has been cast into doubt and a gender pay gap has been confirmed last summer.

Nevertheless, male interviewers are not absent from lists of strong candidates compiled by online sportsbook sites in the UK. The highest-rated man is Jeremy Paxman, which is quite puzzling considering that he does not exactly have a good relationship with the BBC. There are some female candidates who have better chances of securing the high-profile position, so we are betting on the next host of Question Time to be a woman for the first time in the show’s history. Here are the top three candidates.

Mishal Husain (9.00)

While most people remember Husain as the main news anchor of the Iraq War, she has also displayed her excellence at covering events that are less dramatic but still of public interest, such as the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She gained further name recognition when she conducted an interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last November.

The first Muslim presenter of BBC’s Radio 4’s Today programme, she has also been given the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.

Emily Maitlis (7.50)

Maitlis has the support of Maria Miller MP, the chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, who said that “people like Emily Maitlis would make a fantastic follow-up act to David Dimbleby.”

A Cambridge University graduate, she started her career as a business reporter and documentary-maker for NBC Asia. Since then, she has worked for Newsnight, BBC One, BBC News, and BBC World.

Kirsty Wark (2.50)

The bookies’ favorite, Wark has displayed an ability to report on virtually any topic from art (notable interview subjects of hers include Harold Pinter and Quentin Tarantino) to the most powerful of political figures (Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, for instance).

Known for her outspokenness on the gender pay gap, Wark is recognizable for viewers and is not afraid to ask uncomfortable questions. She has already confirmed her interest in being the show’s host in an interview with Good Housekeeping and indeed looks like a very good fit for the job.

Where to place your bet on the next host of Question Time?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OIZuNZlUa0

Does your intuition say that the job will be stolen from under the nose of Kirsty Wark by someone absent from our list? Check the full list of potential candidates at Unibet Sportsbook, a site whose offered betting odds deserve your attention if you are planning to bet on the next host of Question Time.