EXCLUSIVE: BBC just showed true colours over Naga Munchetty exit – their bias is shocking
Naga Munchetty is set to leave BBC Breakfast in January (Image: Getty Images)
Naga Munchetty’s exit from BBC Breakfast has left viewers with questions, and rightly so. Announcing her decision to step down from the programme last week, the TV star confirmed that she would be ending her 17-year stint to become the new co-presenter of 5 Live Breakfast. A move that has seen Rick Edwards and Rachel Burden, the latter of whom helmed the slot for 15 years, transferred to the weekday mid-morning show; it’s a development that feels out of the blue, and quite frankly, unfair to Rachel.
Despite swirling reports of behind-the-scenes “turmoil” at Breakfast, Naga has maintained that she’s simply ready for a fresh challenge and remains grateful for the show. “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,” she said in a statement. “Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up.”
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Following the announcement, the BBC has refrained from addressing reports of backstage “turmoil” at Breakfast, but it has now emerged that Naga may have been given “special treatment” at 5 Live. According to The Mirror, Naga has allegedly negotiated a new working arrangement which will see her present three days in the Salford studio, and two days a week from London near her Hertfordshire home. As for her co-presenter, who is yet to be named, Naga’s future colleague is expected to work five days a week in the studio in Salford.
A source told The Mirror: “Many don’t feel that is particularly fair, and that bosses have afforded her special treatment.” They added that there had also been a sense of “disquiet” over the hiring process.
“There is disquiet that the role has been handed to her on a plate, whereas prospective co-presenters will have to battle it out for the job,” the source said. “Naga was a shoo-in, whereas her co-presenter is expected to jump through various hoops…it doesn’t strike some as particularly fair.”
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Naga will move to 5 Live Breakfast as a co-presenter (Image: Getty)
While the exact terms of Naga’s new job have yet to be confirmed, her very move from Breakfast and the subsequent relegation of Rachel, who spoke of her “sad exit,” point towards special treatment, and it’s a bad look for the BBC.
Last August, Naga was accused of workplace misconduct and bullying over a three-year period. The outcome of that investigation has yet to be revealed. With this in mind, the fact that 11 months later, the presenter has left for another gig and replaced a radio star with 15 years’ experience, while securing flexible working arrangements, is unfair and sure to raise eyebrows. Where’s the transparency? And also, why is Naga being prioritised above other hardworking journalists?
As an organisation that is continuously accused of bias, and in theory is trying to move away from that narrative, it seems counterproductive to give special treatment to a presenter who has faced allegations of misconduct. Is the rule that the more famous and well-known you are, the more exceptions and opportunities you’re allowed? Feels like another brush under the carpet for the BBC, and another classic example of how they are the opposite of impartial.
