Emma Carey, a publicity lead for BBC Radio 2 and girlfriend of presenter Paddy McGuinness, has resigned from her role. Her departure comes less than a month after the couple's relationship was publicly revealed when they were photographed on a date in early August.
Carey, who worked as a publicity lead for BBC Radio 2 where McGuinness hosts his Sunday show, was seen with the presenter, 53, at the upmarket Rosewood Hotel near Covent Garden. They were later seen leaving another nearby hotel.
In a statement announcing her move to record label Columbia Records, Carey described the transition as a "dream come true." She expressed excitement about joining a talented promotion team and returning to her passion for creatively telling artists' stories. Carey also conveyed gratitude to her BBC colleagues for the memories and opportunities during her tenure.
Carey first joined the BBC in 2016. She later moved to Ireland in 2020 to work for RTÉ, the country's public service broadcaster, before returning to the UK in 2024 and joining Sony Music. She then moved to Radio 2 the previous summer, by which time McGuinness had separated from his wife, Christine.
Sources close to McGuinness's ex-wife, Christine McGuinness, have reportedly expressed concerns about the new relationship and are advising Carey. One source suggested that McGuinness prioritizes his career and that Carey might need to adjust to playing a secondary role to his professional life.
Paddy and Christine McGuinness were married for 11 years before their split in 2022. They have maintained amicable relations and continue to cohabit for the sake of their three children: twins Penelope and Leo, 11, and Felicity, eight.
Christine McGuinness has previously stated that the family home is not a place for casual dating and that introducing new partners to their children would be a long process, taking "years, years and years."