Naga Munchetty quitting BBC Breakfast for another highly paid role at the corporation allows her to give ‘two fingers’ to TV bosses who had spent more than a year investigating allegations of bullying and misconduct against her.
The experienced broadcaster, 51, is leaving BBC Breakfast in December and will front the 5 Live Breakfast show, taking over from Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards in January 2027.
Munchetty was reportedly placed under review last summer amid complaints about alleged bullying and off-colour jokes over a three-year period – but always remained defiant and on air.
She was alleged to have been unkind when fellow presenter Sally Nugent unveiled a glam new look and was also said to have remarked that weather presenter Carol Kirkwood had ‘aged a bit’.
There was also said to be a frosty relationship with co-host Charlie Stayt, despite them being all smiles on screen.
The claims emerged after BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani took an extended period of leave following separate allegations of bullying and misconduct. At the time, Munchetty was reported to be among those who raised concerns. Frediani has since been cleared of wrongdoing and returned to work.
The outcome of the investigation into Munchetty’s conduct has not been made public.
However, some BBC insiders see her appointment to the 5 Live Breakfast role as a sign she retains the corporation’s backing. Just weeks ago it was revealed she had received another pay rise, meaning her annual salary is now between £360,000 and £364,999 per year.
A BBC 5 Live insider told the Daily Mail: ‘It’s brilliant for Naga and she’s giving Frediani two fingers.
‘It’s a big promotion for her and a massive coup for us.’
Munchetty was reportedly questioned by bosses over an alleged sex joke, claims she was unkind to co-presenters and allegations she upset Geri Halliwell-Horner.
There were complaints that she made sexual comments during an ad break and was even alleged to have asked a female colleague whether she had ever carried out a certain sex act.
She was accused of telling off an intern over the quality of her Marmite on toast.
When Sally Nugent unveiled a new look, Munchetty allegedly said: ‘We’re meant to be serious journalists, not trying to look like we’re presenting This Morning.’
There were also allegations that she described Carol Kirkwood as ‘really stern’ and said she had ‘aged a bit’.
Before Kirkwood retired from BBC Breakfast, viewers complained when Munchetty said on air: ‘I’m just waiting for the countdown for you to go.’
Another on-air row came when Geri Halliwell-Horner appeared as a guest and later vowed never to return.
Munchetty asked her: ‘Do you not like being interviewed?’, reportedly prompting an apology from BBC bosses.
Naga Munchetty is to leave BBC Breakfast after 17 years to join Radio 5 Live’s flagship morning show
She will disappear from TV screens and take over the slot from the new year, having already hosted the weekday mid-morning programme since January 2021.
Her shuffling towards a full-time radio job comes after a series of controversies involving the presenter.
Her future at BBC Breakfast was thrown into doubt last year due to a formal probe being launched over allegations she had bullied a junior staffer.
It was also reported the broadcaster was called into a meeting over a sex jibe made during an ad break on her radio programme.
The probe into Munchetty was launched after an internal review of bullying and misconduct allegations was opened into the beleaguered flagship breakfast programme last year.
This followed BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani taking an extended period of leave after facing his own allegations of bullying and misconduct.
A formal investigation was then launched into Munchetty – who was said to be ‘barely speaking’ to Richard Frediani – over bullying claims in November.
The BBC has repeatedly declined to comment on the allegations, saying: ‘We do not comment on individual HR matters.’
Munchetty was reportedly spoken to by executives after a junior staffer accused the journalist of bullying them.
The presenter was allowed to remain on-air at the channel as the probe takes place, but is said to only be working with certain producers.
She was also reportedly hauled into a meeting after she was accused of making a sex jibe during an ad break while hosting her radio show.
The presenter is believed to have used a crude slang term for a sex act and reportedly asked a colleague if they had ever done it.
Naga is now number eight on the list of the BBC’s highest paid employees – although this applies only to those paid directly by the corporation, excluding stars who are instead salaried through production firms or other third-party companies.
Munchetty also came under fire in recent weeks after it emerged she was raking in thousands of pounds in extra cash in addition to her substantial salary.
Latest documents released by the BBC – which have a three-month lag – show that Naga was involved in three glam events in January and February.
In January, she hosted a panel discussion about ‘access to the creative industries’ at Soho House in Manchester, which the likes of Noel Gallagher attended for The BRIT Awards after-party in February.
The star was joined by New Order legend Peter Hook and Soho House CEO Andrew Carnie and was paid up to £5,000 for the event.
The previous week, she travelled to the Middle East to attend the Emirates Festival of Literature in Dubai.
There, she gave a talk on her book ‘It’s Probably Nothing’, which discusses her own experiences with the country’s healthcare and the bias against women in the medical profession.
Munchetty will take over from current hosts Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, who announced they will be stepping down in December
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Punters paid £15-a-ticket for the one-hour show while Naga was handed up to £1,000 – although it’s not known if her travel and accommodation were on top of this.
The following month, she headed up a debate on The PR Network podcast ‘Just Curious’ series talking about interviewing techniques.
Last year, it was revealed that Naga had raked in up to an extra £56,000 on top of her bumper BBC salary in 2024, which included up to £10,000 for work with a charity.
According to the BBC website, presenters are allowed to work elsewhere, but they face strict guidelines.
They must seek management approval and strictly abide by the corporation’s rules on conflicts of interest, commercial endorsements, and impartiality.
It was previously reported that Munchetty was in talks with other media organisations, including LBC and Sky News, over possible plans to quit the BBC for good.
But the talks reportedly broke down, with the broadcaster now swapping TV for radio instead.
Current 5 Live host Burden will instead move to the mid-morning slot from Monday to Wednesday after 15 years in the breakfast slot, while Edwards will front Fighting Talk on Saturday mornings and contribute to other programmes.
Munchetty will front the show alongside a co-host, who is yet to be recruited, from Monday to Friday, broadcasting live from Salford for three days a week and London for the remaining two.
On the move to 5 Live, Munchetty said: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining 5 Live Breakfast in January. Live news, great conversations and connecting with audiences are what I love most about broadcasting, and 5 Live does all of that brilliantly.
‘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.
‘Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. 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.
‘Over the last five years, I’ve been privileged to build a relationship with 5 Live listeners on the mid-morning programme and help shine a light on the issues that matter most to them. I’m excited to build on that in the Breakfast slot and to start each day with our listeners every morning.
‘Between now and January, I’ll continue presenting the two programmes I love. I’m sure there will be plenty of news to cover, and it will very much be business as usual.’
Controller Heidi Dawson described Munchetty as ‘one of the UK’s most accomplished broadcasters and a hugely valued member of the 5 Live family’.
Rachel Burden said: ‘After 15 years hosting 5 Live Breakfast, I’ve decided it’s time for a change – and I’m really excited about launching my new show on the station. It’s been an absolute joy and privilege to be part of our listeners’ mornings for all these years. We have been through life-changing events together – from the pandemic to huge political moments, and great sporting journeys.
‘They are my extended family, and we’ll carry on doing what we do best – telling stories, sharing experiences and working out the world together. Just this time, on a little bit more sleep.’
Rick Edwards said: ‘The annoying part for me is that five years on a breakfast show is a decent stint, but next to Rachel’s 15-year marathon, it does look inconsequential.
‘I’ll really miss our wonderful audience, I’ll miss the fantastic team, I’ll miss regularly eating cake before dawn, but most of all I’ll miss Rach – a colleague who has become a friend, and also a mentor, because she’s so much older than me.
‘Two things I am of course looking forward to are not waking up at 3.45am, and vaping without fear of violent recrimination.
‘I’m so grateful to 5 Live for all the opportunities they’ve afforded me – from going to World Cups in far flung locations, to vox pops in covered markets in the Greater Manchester area. Who knows what they have in store for me next? That’s not a rhetorical question. Who do I need to speak to?’
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