Susanna Reid is said to have angered bosses at the BBC by switching to ITV in a channel hop.
The 'BBC Breakfast' host has accepted a £500,000 deal to front ITV's new breakfast programme 'Good Morning Britain' later this year and she has apparently "burned her bridges" with the BBC, who only learned of her departure just hours before ITV announced her recruitment yesterday (03.03.14).
Susanna, 42, had requested the week off in the aftermath of her highly publicised split from partner Dominic Cotton and delivered a further blow by handing in her notice on Monday morning.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "There were shades of what went on when Christine Bleakley left to do the exact same thing. She'll be lucky to work for the BBC again."
Christine, 35, jumped ship from BBC to ITV in 2010 to front current morning programme 'Daybreak', but she was axed along with Adrian Chiles a year later amid low viewing figures and mixed reviews.
Susanna is set to begin work for ITV in late April and will be joined on 'Good Morning Britain' by former GMTV host Ben Shephard, Sky News' Charlotte Hawkins and Sky Sports News presenter Sean Fletcher.
Last night, the TV star said she looks forward to a "new challenge" with ITV.
She wrote on Twitter: "I'm very excited to be joining Good Morning Britain. I have loved being at BBC Breakfast & will miss the team. But as a news journalist & presenter I couldn't turn down this opportunity and a new challenge (sic)"
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