JACKIE Bird has revealed she will not host Hogmanay coverage on the BBC for the first time in 20 years.
The legendary presenter said she ‘didn’t feel right’ about presenting a revamped New Year special and turned down the opportunity.
Miss Bird, 57, who retired from fronting Reporting Scotland in the spring, has presented Hogmanay Live every year since 1999.
But it is thought this year, she was asked to front a reduced10-minute live segment leading up to the 'bells' in Edinburgh city centre.
It comes after the £1million contract to make the programme for the next two years was taken up by BBC in-house programme makers, Multiplatform Productions.
The new-look programme will see live coverage cut in half – going down from one hour to 30 minutes – with the rest pre-recorded.
Miss Bird said: “All I can say is BBC Scotland are reworking the evening and are broadcasting a pre-recorded programme. Of course I know what it is but it’s not fair on them to let the cat out of the bag.
“They asked me to cover the live insert from Edinburgh, which is around the midnight hour. That didn’t feel right and I declined. Hogmanay is a hugely prestigious night for BBC Scotland and they’ve decided to rework it, which is completely their prerogative.
"I wish them well and hope it’s a huge success.”
It emerged in April that Miss Bird, who had been the face of Reporting Scotland for the last 30 years, was leaving the news programme as well.
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