After more than twenty years at Cadena SER, Àngels Barceló is moving from Madrid back to Barcelona. She says the capital’s political climate has become hostile and sees her return as coming home.
Her last day at Cadena SER was June 11, 2026. Several leading Spanish media outlets confirmed her departure. Barceló has led 'Hoy por Hoy' since 2019; before that, she ran 'Hora 25' for more than a decade. Her time at the station spanned more than twenty years. In her farewell, she said she and the station reached a mutual agreement, while some reports pointed to professional clashes and political differences. Barceló is 63 and has lived in Madrid for nearly thirty years, longer than she lived in Barcelona.
What comes next for Barceló remains uncertain. There are rumors she might join 'La Séptima', a new TDT channel led by Javier Ruiz and set to launch in November 2026. Several publications say there has been no official word on her joining. For now, the move remains speculation. Barceló is taking a break and focusing on herself and her family as the media world around her also shifts.
Barceló has officially re-registered her residency in Catalunya, which she describes as a return to her roots. “I have re-registered in Catalunya, my return is here, I see it as coming home,” she told Betevé. She has lived in Madrid since 1997. Betevé reports that the empadronamiento is the strongest sign yet of her decision to move back.
She has been blunt about her reasons. “Madrid is a very hostile city, especially in this last period with the right and far-right in the city council and regional government. Living in Madrid is complicated, the atmosphere is not pleasant,” Barceló said. Several Spanish outlets have reported her remarks. She links the move to the political climate and says she finds the city inhospitable.
Still, Barceló does not plan to cut all ties. “I don’t want to lose my footing in Madrid because, after so many years, I have many professional and personal connections there,” she said. Madrid may feel hostile now, but it shaped her career.
Her move reflects a wider trend: more public figures are rethinking where they belong as Spain’s political and social climate shifts. High-profile departures and returns often happen when public life clashes with personal beliefs, as reported earlier.
For Spain’s media elite, where people live and work is also a statement. Barceló’s return to Barcelona is personal and public. For Cadena SER and Spanish media, it marks the end of a long era; what comes next is less certain.
