Sangita Myska leaves LBC as Vanessa Feltz joins in schedule shake-up

Presenter Sangita Myska is to leave talk radio station LBC as part of a shake-up of the schedule, parent company Global has announced.

It follows speculation on social media about Myska's position, after listeners said she appeared to have been taken off air.

Global thanked Myska for her "fantastic contribution" to the station. Myska has not yet commented.

Vanessa Feltz is among the new hosts being added to the weekend line-up.

However, Feltz is not a direct replacement for Myska because she is hosting a programme in a different timeslot.

From 4 May, former Talk TV presenter Feltz will front a new LBC show between 15:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays.

Myska, who hosted a weekend phone-in show, has not been on air since 14 April, and had been replaced by another presenter, Ali Miraj, in recent weeks.

Miraj, a former Conservative Party parliamentary candidate, will now permanently join the weekend schedule, Global confirmed.

Some listeners had questioned whether Myska's departure was connected to an interview she conducted with an Israeli government spokesperson the day after Iran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel.

Her absence from the airwaves led to an outpouring of support, and almost 25,000 people signed a petition, external to calling for LBC to reinstate her.

The station has kept the YouTube clip of the interview, external online. Parent company Global has not made reference to it, and its announcement on Wednesday said the line-up changes were "part of a refreshed weekend schedule".

LBC's senior managing editor Tom Cheal said: "We'd like to thank Sangita for her fantastic contribution to LBC and wish her every success in the future."

Feltz left Talk TV last month following the announcement that the channel was moving online.

In a statement, she said: "After a long and passionate courtship, I've finally succumbed to the allure of LBC. Actually I was powerless to resist.

"Global's dynamism is mesmerising and it is THE high octane station from which to broadcast, in this riveting election year. I can't wait to join the Global family and get cracking. Brace yourself for May 4th - May the fourth be with you!"

Prior to working on Talk TV, Feltz spent more than two decades at the BBC, hosting programmes on Radio 2 and Radio London.

Earlier this week, LBC also announced a new Sunday morning politics show for The News Agents co-host Lewis Goodall.