Former BBC Breakfast Star Louise Minchin Lands New Role After Major Career Shift
Former BBC Breakfast star Louise Minchin has embarked on a new career path since leaving the daily BBC show in 2021 after two decades. The beloved journalist has found a new passion as an author. Louise has put her creative talents to work, writing her debut novel, Isolation Island. Her new career has led to her being featured as the main event at this autumn’s Isle of Wight Literary Festival.
She will appear at the three-day event at Northwood House in Cowes alongside fellow TV star Clare Balding. The star-studded lineup also includes Countdown star Susie Dent and This Morning regular Gyles Brandreth. Although Isolation Island is Louise’s first novel, it is not her first foray into writing. In 2019, she published her first non-fiction book, Dare to Tri, detailing her experiences training to become a triathlete. She followed it up with another non-fiction work, Fearless, last year, told The Sun.
Isolation Island is loosely based on Louise’s time on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2021. The novel follows ten fictional famous faces as they journey to a remote and secluded island off the coast of Scotland. The story unfolds in the heart of winter, mirroring Louise’s experiences in the Welsh castle during I’m A Celeb. She describes the book’s fictional show as the most grueling yet lucrative survival show ever devised.
In addition to her writing success, Louise was chosen to be the chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2023, highlighting her growing influence in the literary world. Despite her new career, Louise occasionally returns to television as a cover presenter on ITV’s breakfast show Lorraine, stepping in when regular hosts Christine Lampard and Ranvir Singh are unavailable.
Louise Minchin’s transition from a BBC Breakfast presenter to a celebrated author and literary figure demonstrates her versatility and passion for storytelling. Her new role at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival and her recent writing accomplishments mark significant milestones in her evolving career.