Viewers of BBC Breakfast were left scratching their heads on Sunday morning when the flagship news programme concluded much earlier than its usual weekend schedule.
Unexpected Early Finish Sparks Confusion
The show, presented by Ben Thompson and Rachel Burden, wrapped up at 8.45am on Sunday 28th December, a significant shift from its typical running time. This followed a 10am finish on Saturday and a 9am conclusion the previous Sunday.
Confused fans quickly took to social media platform X to voice their puzzlement. One viewer directly questioned the BBC's scheduling, asking: "How come we are not switching over to BBC 2 #bbcbreakfast." Another echoed the sentiment, posting: "How come it's finished early #bbcbreakfast," while a third speculated the early end was to "repeat last night's match of the day."
Presenters Sign Off Without Explanation
At 8.45am, after conducting interviews with two guests, the on-air duo brought the broadcast to a close. Ben Thompson told viewers, "That is all from us on Breakfast this morning. Back tomorrow from 6am, enjoy your day." Co-host Rachel Burden added, "See you soon."
No on-air explanation was given for the truncated schedule. Immediately after the show ended, Match of the Day began broadcasting on BBC One. This mirrored the previous Sunday's scheduling, where the football highlights programme also followed an early 9am finish for Breakfast.
Sports Tributes and Variable Scheduling
During Sunday's shortened edition, sports correspondent Olly Foster paid tribute to two sporting figures. He reported on the tribute paid at Nottingham Forest to club legend John Robertson, the two-time European Cup winner who died on Christmas Day.
Foster also covered the emotional match between Liverpool and Wolves, their first meeting since the death of former player Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car crash in Spain in July aged 28. Jota's sons were mascots for the game.
The early finish appears to be part of a pattern of variable weekend scheduling for the programme:
- Saturday 27th December: Finished at 9.30am for Saturday Kitchen.
- Sunday 28th December: Finished at 8.45am for Match of the Day.
- Previous Sunday: Finished at 9am for Match of the Day.
BBC Breakfast airs daily at 6am on BBC One. The programme is set to return to its normal schedule on Monday morning.
