The BBC has defended Naga Munchetty amid new anger over her appointment to the 5Live breakfast show. Some staffers say it “defies logic” that the 51-year-old has been handed the “plum” role after facing allegations she had bullied junior staffers on BBC Breakfast.
Allegations and backlash
Munchetty, who currently hosts a mid-morning show on 5Live, also reportedly received a telling-off from station bosses in 2022 after a "crass, inappropriate and wildly unprofessional" off-air joke. One BBC employee said: “The dust has barely settled on those allegations, and now she is handed the breakfast show job…which is clearly a promotion from mid-morning. It doesn't feel right."
Munchetty, one of the Beeb's highest-paid stars on £365,000, has never commented on the allegations which also reportedly includes reprimanding an intern for spreading Marmite on her toast incorrectly. The BBC has never revealed the outcome of the probe, which is now no longer active.
BBC's response
However, in a new statement the BBC has robustly backed the under-fire presenter over what some staffers perceive to be “special treatment” afforded to Munchetty. A spokesperson said “Appointments into any presenting role are made on merit and in line with the BBC’s standard processes. We reject any suggestion that different standards have been applied in this instance.”
The Mirror revealed last weekend how there was “consternation” behind the scenes after she negotiated a deal to present three days a week in the Salford studio, and two days from London near her Hertfordshire home. Her prospective co-presenter, meanwhile, will be expected to do five days a week in Salford. A source said: "Many don't feel that is particularly fair, and that bosses have afforded her special treatment."
Station turmoil
The row comes amid a period of turmoil for the station. This week it was announced that Tony Livesey will not return to his 5 Live show after stepping away in June, following a BBC investigation into former West Ham chairman David Sullivan. In a letter sent to staff, the BBC said presenter Livesey would be leaving after a 16-year stint at the radio station.
The Mirror told last week how insiders claimed Munchetty’s departure from the show was in everyone’s best interests. A BBC source said: "The new job for Naga seems the best result for everyone. It was not a happy ship on Breakfast." But they added: "However you look at it, hosting BBC Breakfast is a much bigger job than working on 5 Live."
Munchetty first joined BBC Breakfast in 2009 and from 2014 has co-hosted with Charlie Stayt. She and her new co-presenter take over the 5 Live breakfast slot next January from Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, who are stepping down in December.
