BBC presenter said earlier this year she had been ‘shaken’ by levels of racism she had recently encountered in the UK

Hot on the heels of news that Zoe Ball is to stand down as the host of the high profile Radio 2 Breakfast Show, another top female BBC presenter, Mishal Husain, is believed to be stepping down from her regular role on Today, Radio 4’s flagship daily morning news programme.

The 51-year-old presenter is thought likely to stay on the show until the new year when she is due to take an extended break from work, a perk offered after serving more than 25 years with the corporation.