Rising star of BBC radio resigns to write a book

One of the BBC's rising radio stars has suddenly quit her prime-time show on Five Live to write a book in New York.

Fi Glover, who has presented her live phone-in show for only five months, will take a sabbatical while she writes about a liberal radio station in the land of right-wing "shock jocks". The presenter, considered one of the most recognisable voices on the airwaves, has won a host of awards since joining the radio station in 1997.

She recently hit the headlines when she had an on-air spat with Five Live's star broadcaster, Nicky Campbell. But the row had nothing to do with her decision to leave.

She said yesterday: "Whilst I am sad to be leaving Five Live after six years, as I've had a great time here, I was really flattered to be asked to write another book."

Glover was previously one of the presenters ofThe Travel Show on BBC2 and has already had success with her first book, published in 2001, I'm an Oil Tanker: Travels with My Radio. Her departure will be a blow for Five Live, which has just lost its main sports presenter, Ian Payne, to Sky.

When Glover leaves at the end of June her slot will be taken over by three stand-ins, John Pienaar, Julian Worricker and Juliet Morris, while a replacement is found.