BBC Breakfast descended into chaos on Wednesday (December 17) when the South East news team was abruptly pulled off air due to a fire alarm. Presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were hosting the programme, joined by weather presenter Carol Kirkwood, when the disruption occurred.
Viewers in the South East region were instead shown BBC London news, with presenter Thomas Magill explaining: 'A very good morning, welcome to BBC London and our viewers in the South East, where the news team there have been evacuated due to a fire alarm.' The explanation was repeated several times, though the issue appeared resolved by the programme's end.
A BBC spokesperson confirmed: 'As mentioned in the broadcast, our team in Tunbridge Wells were evacuated briefly this morning which meant our audiences in the South East received our London breakfast bulletin and Radio Surrey took Radio Kent output. Everyone is safe and well, and normal output has resumed.'
The incident follows a similar event weeks earlier when BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast was taken off air due to a fire at BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow, leading to pre-recorded music and suspended news bulletins.
Elsewhere on the programme, Sally and Jon discussed the terminal cancer diagnosis of Sir Chris Hoy, with interviews from sporting icons including Sir Andy Murray and Dame Laura Kenny, who expressed their shock and sadness.
