Naga Munchetty is leaving BBC Breakfast after 17 years, reportedly as a power move against the show's editor Richard Frediani, after a bullying probe. The 51-year-old presenter will move to Radio 5 Live in January 2027, replacing Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards to host the morning programme.
Departure Announcement and Reactions
Munchetty announced her exit from the flagship morning show on Tuesday. She said: “Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. It will take a huge amount of work and require 100% of my focus and energy, and I'm really looking forward to throwing myself into the role. Between now and January, I'll continue presenting the two programs I love. I'm sure there will be plenty of news to cover, and it will very much be business as usual.”
Her predecessor Rachel Burden became emotional as she announced the exit on air: “I have some news to share, with you, ah, I really need to try and keep it together. I said I'd keep it together! We have been working together on 5 Live Breakfast for five years now, and I have been co-presenting this show for over 15 years. And I have loved, I think, almost every single minute of it. But we have both been thinking a lot in recent months about what comes next, and I guess how we meet sort of shifting priorities in our lives.” She confirmed she would step down in December but stay at 5 Live.
Bullying Allegations and Investigation
Munchetty was reportedly investigated last summer following complaints of bullying over a three-year period. She was accused of bullying a female colleague, making a “crass, inappropriate and wildly unprofessional” sex joke that left a co-worker “humiliated,” and chastising an intern over how they spread Marmite on her toast. In 2022, she allegedly used a crude word for a sex act and asked a colleague if they had done it. The exact comment was not reported, but a source said it left the person “embarrassed.”
In another incident, she allegedly accused a younger staffer of stealing without evidence. “It was humiliating. There was no evidence, no apology. The woman left not long after, completely demoralised,” an insider said. She also apparently told off an intern over the quality of her Marmite on toast. In November, BBC bosses escalated the review into an official investigation after more complaints. While the probe took place, Munchetty was allowed to remain on-air but with production monitors watching her. The investigation has since been “quietly closed,” with the outcome never made public.
Power Move and Support
A Radio 5 Live insider told The Mail: “It's brilliant for Naga and she's giving Frediani two fingers. It's a big promotion for her and a massive coup for us.” Some BBC insiders, however, claimed her move to another BBC role shows she still has the corporation's support. She also received a pay rise, bringing her annual salary to between £360,000 and £364,999.
Frediani returned to his role after taking extended leave while the bullying investigation was carried out; Munchetty allegedly raised some of the complaints. The Standard has contacted the BBC and Munchetty's representative for comment.
Relationships with Colleagues
Munchetty was reportedly on frosty terms with co-host Charlie Stayt. She also faced backlash for “rude” comments to weather presenter Carol Kirkwood on her last day in April, including saying she was “waiting for the countdown” for Kirkwood to go. Sources insisted the pair are “close personal friends.” Munchetty also made a joke about Sally Nugent's new hairstyle, saying: “We're meant to be serious journalists, not trying to look like we're presenting This Morning.”
Munchetty currently presents BBC Breakfast every Thursday to Saturday, having joined the show in 2009.
