Street-Porter with Sir Elton John at a Cannes Aids fundraiser

Simon Kelner, editor-in-chief, said that he was grateful to Street-Porter for her work on the Independent on Sunday and looked forward to continuing to work with her.

"I am delighted we have been able to persuade her to continue to work with us."

The appointment of a new editor is to be confirmed shortly.

Youth TV

The editor job was the first major print journalism post for Street-Porter, whose previous job was as managing director of cable television station L!ve TV.

Street-Porter began her career in the 1970s, writing on fashion and the arts for the Daily Mail and Evening Standard.

However, she became famous as a television producer, after joining ITV company London Weekend Television in 1975.

She set up Channel 4's innovative teenage magazine Network 7 in 1986 and was BBC's head of youth programming from 1988.

In 1994 she became managing director of L!ve TV - but lasted only five months at the station before walking out in a much-publicised row with colleague Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun.

Street-Porter is a prominent member of The Ramblers and campaigns on countryside issues as well as writing a "celebrity column" in The Rambler Magazine.