BBC Breakfast viewers were left unimpressed moments into the show on Monday, August 24, as they issued the same complaint about a "rubbish" update to the programme's on-screen graphics.
Ben Thompson and Sally Nugent hosted the episode, which led with tributes to police officers who died in a car crash that killed five others in Middlesbrough on Saturday. However, viewers were distracted from the content by the visual changes.
Instead of the usual red headlines box and timestamp, the studio backdrop graphics now feature blue, while captions at the bottom of the screen use a red to blue gradient, highlighting upcoming segments and their air times, reports the Mirror.
Viewers React to the New Look
One person commented: "#BBCBreakfast have had their graphics upgraded," to which another replied: "I wouldn't call it an 'upgrade'!" "What's with all these ticker tape captions?" another said, as a fourth wrote: "The other thing i don't like is the timetable of what's on through the programme."
Someone else said: "Someone has been busy with the crayons "refreshing" the captions." Yet another said: "Imagine the interns designing the new banner at the bottom.... 'Now let's make the time much smaller because nobody really looks at it...'"
As one person claimed they'd messaged the BBC show about the new change, another wrote: "I mean how b****y ridiculous! Most people only have it on to see the time (and the hashtag lol)."
Complaints Continue Over New Design
"Feel like putting a sticker over the bottom of the tv to cover it," one viewer added. "Absolutely crazy," another agreed, as someone else fumed: "These new graphics and persistent headlines bar are dreadful."
Another wrote: "Awful - I want to listen and watch, not read as well! Too cluttered & intrusive!" as someone else agreed: "It's ruined the viewing." Someone else fumed: "Don't like the new screen, too much going on."
"Don't like the new look How annoying," another echoed. "It's like when you get an update on your phone, you wish you hadn't," one viewer wrote.
Upcoming Change for BBC Breakfast
This comes amid another upcoming change for BBC Breakfast, as Naga Munchetty's replacement has yet to be announced. The presenter announced weeks ago that after joining BBC Breakfast in 2009, she'd be moving to Radio 5 Live for the channel's breakfast show.
Naga, who currently presents Breakfast for three days a week alongside 5 Live's mid-morning programme for three days, will be on 5 Live Breakfast for five days a week from January.
She said: "It has been a privilege to be part of the BBC Breakfast TV team for the past 17 years, working alongside an incredibly talented and hard-working group of journalists who are not only outstanding colleagues but also great friends."
"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."
Her replacement, who will join Charlie Stayt on BBC Breakfast, has yet to be confirmed, though fans are speculating it could be Nina Warhurst or Emma Vardy. BBC Breakfast is available to watch on BBC One from 6am.
