Naga Munchetty ends 17-year BBC Breakfast run for role she 'couldn't pass up'

Highlights

• Naga Munchetty will leave BBC Breakfast after 17 years to present 5 Live Breakfast
• The presenter says the new role was "simply too good to pass up"
• Her move is part of wider changes to BBC Radio 5 Live's breakfast line-up

Naga Munchetty is stepping down from BBC Breakfast after 17 years, saying a new opportunity at BBC Radio 5 Live was one she could not turn down. The presenter, who has been one of the programme's main faces for the past 12 years, will leave the BBC One breakfast show at the end of the year to become the full-time host of 5 Live Breakfast.

From January, Munchetty will present the national radio breakfast programme five days a week, ending her long-running stint on television.

'Too good to pass up'

Reflecting on her departure, Munchetty described her time on BBC Breakfast as a privilege, thanking the journalists and production team she has worked with over the past 17 years.

She said the chance to present one of Radio 5 Live's flagship programmes was "simply too good to pass up".

"It will take a huge amount of work and require 100% of my focus and energy," she said, adding that she was looking forward to embracing the new challenge.

Munchetty currently splits her time between presenting BBC Breakfast from Thursday to Saturday and hosting Radio 5 Live's mid-morning programme on three weekdays.

BBC pays tribute to long-serving presenter

John McAndrew, the BBC's director of live and daily news, praised Munchetty's contribution to BBC Breakfast, saying she would be "hugely missed" by the millions of viewers who have watched her over the years.

He also welcomed the fact that she would remain with the BBC as she begins the next stage of her broadcasting career.

The BBC has yet to announce who will replace Munchetty on BBC Breakfast.

Wider changes at Radio 5 Live

Munchetty's appointment comes as 5 Live Breakfast prepares for its own reshuffle.

Current presenters Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards announced they are leaving the programme. Burden will move to Munchetty's existing Monday-to-Wednesday mid-morning slot on Radio 5 Live, while Edwards will continue presenting the BBC's weekend sports quiz Fighting Talk.

A new co-presenter for 5 Live Breakfast will be announced in due course.

Munchetty joined BBC Breakfast in 2009 as a business and finance reporter before becoming one of its lead presenters. Over the years, she has interviewed world leaders, politicians and celebrities including Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sir Keir Starmer, Sir David Attenborough and Sir Rod Stewart.

Alongside her news career, she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 and has become one of the BBC's best-known broadcasters.

Her final appearance on BBC Breakfast is expected later this year before she takes over 5 Live Breakfast full-time in January 2027.