Àngels Barceló is enjoying a very different rhythm of life after stepping away from daily radio, saying that being able to decide what she does and when she does it has been a revelation.

The veteran journalist spoke about her new chapter during an interview with Betevé's Bàsics, one of her first interviews since leaving Cadena SER after 21 years with the broadcaster.

Barceló said she is rediscovering life away from the daily demands of news and journalism, having spent virtually her entire professional career working on daily live programmes.

A new relationship with time

Barceló began working in television at TV3 when she was 20 and subsequently built a career across Telecinco, Televisió de Catalunya, Catalunya Ràdio and Cadena SER.

She spent 21 years at SER, presenting A vivir que son dos días, Hora 25 and, from 2019, Hoy por hoy.

SER announced in May that Barceló would not renew her contract, with the new 2026-27 season of Hoy por hoy beginning without her. Aimar Bretos took over the programme.

Reflecting on the change, Barceló said she is discovering what exists beyond the world of daily information.

After decades of working to a demanding live-radio schedule, she said being able to choose her own timetable is something she had never previously experienced.

She also reflected on the intensity of her former routine, describing the hours, tension, responsibility and pressure involved in working on daily news programmes.

She says she is happy with the change

The journalist said she is currently very happy with her new situation.

Her comments suggest that the change is not simply about taking time off, but about discovering a different way of organising her life after decades of working to the rhythm of a daily programme.

She has not ruled out considering future professional opportunities, but there is currently no confirmed announcement that she is returning to another daily radio programme. Recent reports have mentioned speculation about possible television opportunities, but these remain possibilities rather than confirmed appointments.

Returning to Catalonia

Another significant change has been where Barceló is living.

After moving to Madrid in 1997, she spent almost three decades in the Spanish capital.

She has now returned to Catalonia and is living in the Maresme area. She also said she had re-registered as a resident in Catalonia.

Barceló grew up between Barcelona's Sant Antoni and Poble-sec neighbourhoods and continues to describe herself as strongly connected to the city.

She has also maintained personal links with Madrid, but has said she does not want to grow old there.

Missing the sea

One of the things Barceló missed most after moving to Madrid was the sea.

During the Betevé interview, she recalled how even a short trip to Barcelona's Barceloneta while working in the city could give her the feeling of being on holiday.

She contrasted that experience with Madrid, describing the ability to see an open horizon from a coastal city as something she particularly values.

Her connection with Barcelona remains strong, although she also acknowledged that the city has changed considerably.

Her concerns about Barcelona

Barceló also spoke about the transformation of Barcelona and the effects of tourism and gentrification.

She said she sees the city as increasingly oriented towards visitors and expressed concern about the loss of local identity in some central areas.

She specifically mentioned the Mercat de la Boqueria as an example of a place she believes has become heavily oriented towards tourism.

She also spoke about her own Sant Antoni neighbourhood, saying that although it has become more gentrified and has lost some shops, the market remains an important connection with local residents.

These are Barceló's personal views about the city rather than an independent assessment of Barcelona's tourism or gentrification trends.

A different relationship with journalism

Barceló also reflected on how decades of political reporting affected her.

She said she finished her period presenting daily political news feeling disappointed with politicians and with the increasingly confrontational nature of political debate.

She described the level of polarisation as something that can eventually affect journalists personally, particularly when interviews become increasingly difficult and politicians avoid directly answering questions.

Her comments help explain why the opportunity to step away from daily political journalism has been such a significant change in her life.

A career spanning more than three decades

Barceló began her professional career at TV3 when she was 20.

Her subsequent career has included television, radio and political journalism across several major Spanish and Catalan media organisations.

At Cadena SER, she spent 21 years across several programmes before taking charge of Hoy por hoy in 2019.

SER publicly thanked her for her contribution to the broadcaster and described her departure as the beginning of a new stage for the programme.

Now, after decades in the daily news cycle, Barceló is experiencing something that was previously largely unavailable to her: control over her own time.

For a journalist who spent most of her adult life preparing for the next live broadcast, that freedom appears to be the defining feature of her new chapter.