'I have to be at home more:' Karen Koster to leave Six O'Clock Show after two years

She told viewers: 'I am really just saying goodbye because I have to be at home more with my kids'

Karen Koster is leaving the Six O'Clock show. Picture: Brian McEvoy

After more than two years on our TV screens every weekday, Karen Koster has announced that she will be leaving the Six O’Clock Show to spend more time with her family.

The presenter made the announcement on air on Monday, stating that she would be finishing up next week. 

She told viewers: "I have had an absolute ball but I am really just saying goodbye because I have to be at home more with my kids."

The mother-of-three said she is missing too much of their day while in the studio in the afternoon and the evenings. 

"I know in my heart it’s right. I’ve agonised over this decision for months and months," she added.

Koster has been working with Virgin Media Television for 20 years and said she is looking forward to experiencing the Six O’Clock Show as a viewer at home and passing the baton on.

Her co-host Greg O'Shea said she will be "sorely missed" and thanked her for being "the best teacher".

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“Truthfully the only downside to The Six O’Clock Show is that it’s on at 6 O’Clock! And that’s simply a time when I need to be at home, rather than in the studio. But I’ll always be around to mind the mothership should the team need me to jump back into the hotseat,” she explained in a post to Instagram.

“Thank you for tuning in and for all the lovely comments I get when I’m out and about. I’m looking forward to sitting down and watching the show as a fan, just like I did before.

“But for now, it’s time to hand over the baton and start the next chapter. But not just yet, I’ve a few shows in me still.”

 The 42-year-old has three children — Finn, JJ, and Eve — with her husband John McGuire.