Surely Simon's notice period is longer than GMB has had a vacant seat so he couldn't resign for it
Maybe he has untaken holiday/TOIL. Maybe he is retiring, (he's 60 in October according to WiKi) Maybe he's just had enough of telly.
I think the GMB theory is 'overthinking' but that's just MHO
“Sharp, funny & a great colleague - it has been a delight to have @BBCSimonMcCoy at the helm of the BBC News Channel & News at One. We’ll miss his one-liners, pregnant pauses & commitment to breaking news in every form, & wish him the very best for the future.” - @samtaylornews
Surely Simon's notice period is longer than GMB has had a vacant seat so he couldn't resign for it
Where I work it's not unheard of for people to have so much unused leave that they only work a couple of weeks after giving their notice.
Actively pursued in some industries by management too, from personal experience. When I quit or indicated that I was prepared so to do, my manager asked that I work through the early part of the notice period and then 'virtually' left in the latter part. Enables any replacement to get their feet under the desk retaining access to the departing individual in the case of issues arising.
While it’s a crying shame Simon’s leaving the BBC and I very much hope he lands somewhere else soon (notwithstanding any personal considerations he might have - Simon, like the monarch, has a moral and public duty to continue to the very end), I think it’s fairly obvious he’s leaving as part of the latest round in cuts. We knew that some NC and WN presenters would be leaving as they seek to share more resources, and he leaves on the same day as others.
That said, I would absolutely grab him if I were GMB right now. Even just two or three days a week. What GMB, and more recently Breakfast often lacks isn’t controversial opinions or Morgan rants, but rich onscreen personality and unmanufactured humour. With the right co-presenters, Simon would be the perfect fit.
