Eddie Mair today announced he will retire from broadcasting aged just 56 amid claims his exit from LBC is linked to the arrival of Andrew Marr.
Mair has said he will step down from his role in August this year, on his four-year anniversary of joining LBC, causing shock at the talk radio station.
The Radio 4 star left the BBC in 2018 after refusing to take a drastic cut to his £350,000 salary in a move that opened the floodgates of top presenters quitting to earn even more money at commercial broadcasters.
Andrew Marr joined LBC earlier this year after quitting his £400,000-a-year Sunday TV show.
Jon Sopel and Emily Maitlis, who earned at least £235,000 and £325,000 respectively at the BBC, followed to make a new podcast with a significant pay rise.
One insider told MailOnline there was genuine shock at LBC over the decision - and Times Radio are said to be considering trying to bring him in despite Mair 'genuinely wanting to retire early'.
'Times Radio may have gone for Mair and made him a good offer which Global didn't match', the source said, adding: 'Will Maitlis and Sopel take over his LBC slot?
Was that the plan all along?'
Before his exit was announced this morning, a friend told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'He didn't like it at all when an hour of his show was sliced off to make way for Andrew Marr, 온라인슬롯 who was suddenly the big new star from the BBC.'
Eddie Mair today announced he will retire from broadcasting aged just 56 amid claims his exit from LBC is linked to the arrival of Andrew Marr