BREAKING: BBC Breakfast legend addresses ‘return’ to show after Naga Munchetty quits
Steph McGovern has ruled out a return to BBC Breakfast as she opened up about former co-star Naga Munchetty’s decision to leave the programme after 17 years.
The 44-year-old presenter stepped away from the BBC morning show in October 2019 to front her own Channel 4 programme, Steph’s Packed Lunch.
The lunchtime series combined celebrity interviews, food, entertainment and consumer stories, but was cancelled in 2023 after Channel 4 said viewing habits were “changing quicker than ever”.
Since then, Steph has explored a number of other projects, including podcasting, business ventures and consumer programmes.
She is also mum to a six-year-old daughter, whose name she has chosen to keep private.
Now, nearly seven years after leaving BBC Breakfast, Steph has made clear that she has no immediate plans to return to the early-morning sofa.
Steph Rules Out Early-Morning Comeback
Asked whether she could ever see herself returning to the programme, Steph admitted her current lifestyle simply does not fit with the demanding schedule.
“My life goes in stages and this stage isn’t one that involves getting up at half past three to go on telly,” she said.
Her comments effectively rule out an immediate comeback, despite the major changes taking place at BBC Breakfast.
The programme is preparing to lose one of its longest-serving presenters after Naga Munchetty confirmed she will leave the television show later this year.
Steph, however, made clear that she remains close to her former colleague.
‘She’s an All-Round Legend’
Naga’s departure was announced in July after 17 years on BBC Breakfast.
When Steph was asked whether she had any advice for her former co-star, she insisted Naga hardly needed it.
“I don’t think I need to give Naga any advice, she’s an all-round legend,” Steph said.
She added that their conversations tend to focus on their personal lives rather than career matters.
“I talk to her mainly to check in on how we are. We don’t discuss career things,” she explained.
Steph then praised Naga’s abilities, describing her as a “powerhouse” who is “brilliant at what she does”.
Naga Leaving BBC Breakfast for Radio 5 Live
Naga is leaving the BBC Breakfast sofa to focus fully on her role at Radio 5 Live.
She had already been presenting the station’s breakfast show three days a week alongside her television commitments.
From January, however, she will host the programme five days a week.
Explaining her decision, Naga said: “It has been a privilege to be part of the BBC Breakfast TV team for the past 17 years.”
She praised the journalists she had worked with, describing them as talented colleagues as well as close friends.
But the opportunity to take on a flagship Radio 5 Live programme was, she said, “simply too good to pass up”.
Naga added that the job would demand her full attention.
“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,” she said.
BBC Boss Says Naga Will Be ‘Hugely Missed’
John McAndrew, the BBC’s director of live and daily news, said Naga would be missed by the audience she has built over nearly two decades.
He said she would be “hugely missed by the millions of viewers who’ve welcomed her into their homes each week”.
However, he also welcomed the fact that she would remain with the BBC and wished her well in her new Radio 5 Live role.
Naga is due to present her final BBC Breakfast programme in December before beginning the new chapter in January.
Another Major Change for BBC Breakfast
Her departure follows another significant exit from the programme earlier this year.
Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood announced she was leaving after 28 years, saying she wanted to spend more time with her husband Steve and travel together.
Speaking emotionally about her decision, Carol said she had loved both her job and working for the BBC.
But she added: “I love my husband more than my job.”
With both Carol and Naga stepping away, BBC Breakfast is entering a significant period of change.
And despite Steph’s long history with the programme, viewers should not expect her to step back into the early-morning role any time soon.
Her response was clear: while she may still have affection for the show and its presenters, the days of waking up at 3.30am for live television are firmly behind her — at least for now.
