Naga Munchetty to Leave BBC One's Breakfast for Radio 5 Live Role

Naga Munchetty is leaving BBC One’s Breakfast after 17 years to anchor the Radio 5 Live Breakfast show five days a week starting in January. The long-serving broadcaster will wrap up her television sofa appearances in December, concluding a nearly two-decade run on the morning programme.

Moving from Television to Radio Mornings

After nearly two decades helping wake up British television viewers, Naga Munchetty is leaving the show after 17 years to take on a new full-time radio role. Munchetty initially joined the programme as a finance reporter before spending the last 12 years as one of its main presenters. While she has spent the last few years splitting her time between television and hosting a weekday mid-morning slot on Radio 5 Live, her schedule is set for a major overhaul.

From December onward, she will leave the television sofa behind and step into the presenter’s chair on Radio 5 Live Breakfast five days a week beginning in January. Heidi Dawson, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, called Munchetty one of the UK’s most accomplished broadcasters while praising her journalistic rigor and connection with audiences.

“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.”
Naga Munchetty, via BBC

Munchetty added that presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live was an opportunity too good to pass up. She noted that the new post will demand a massive amount of work and require her complete focus and energy as she prepares to throw herself into the role.

A Shift in the Wider BBC Radio Lineup

Current 5 Live Breakfast hosts Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards announced their own departures from the morning slot, with both transitioning to new responsibilities within the station.

Burden, who spent 15 years hosting the breakfast programme, will take the Monday to Wednesday mid-morning slot, stepping directly into the 11am-2pm broadcast window previously occupied by Munchetty. Edwards will remain with the station to front Fighting Talk on Saturday mornings. Offering a characteristically lighthearted take on the schedule change, Edwards remarked that he looked forward to not waking up at 3.45am, and vaping without fear of violent recrimination.

The newly configured 5 Live Breakfast show will broadcast live from Salford three days a week, with the remaining two days originating from London. While Munchetty’s upcoming radio co-host has yet to be publicly named, the BBC confirmed that a television replacement to join the remaining anchors will be recruited in due course.

Behind-the-Scenes Scrutiny at BBC Breakfast

The departure arrives during a turbulent period for the flagship morning television show, which has faced a wave of internal scrutiny and staff departures over the past year.

Leadership previously pledged to draw a line in the sand after independent evaluations examined how high-profile figures within the corporation were held accountable for poor behavior. Meanwhile, the show’s editor, Richard Frediani, recently spent time on extended leave while internal investigations examined bullying and misconduct allegations before he was cleared.

Business as Usual Until December

She confirmed to listeners and viewers that she will continue presenting the two programmes she loves during the transition period.

Fellow presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay officially delivered the news to television audiences, while Nugent noted that Munchetty had shared the update directly with Burden and Edwards before the public announcement. For the remaining months on the morning sofa, Munchetty stated that she expects plenty of developing headlines to cover as she balances television duties with her preparations for the early-morning radio chair.

Keep reading