BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty missing from sofa after hitting back at criticism

BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty is taking a break from the iconic red sofa. While the journalist, 48, typically hosts Friday's programme, fans were surprised to see Charlie Stayt teamed up with royal correspondent, Sarah Campbell, in the latest presenter shakeup.

Sarah, who has filled in for Naga before, has appeared more frequently on BBC Breakfast this month, with Naga using her annual leave for a trip to Scotland recently.

During Friday's episode, neither Charlie nor Sarah addressed their co-stars' absence from the show, however, as a keen golfer herself, we're wondering if Naga might be taking some time away to enjoy the first day of the Ryder Cup!

The TV star's absence comes just days after she hit back at criticism from a listener who tuned into her BBC Radio 5 Live show on Wednesday.

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Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Naga responded to a negative comment that read: "Tune into @Emmabarnett @BBCWomansHour now for some man bashing and then @bbc5live from 11am for a phone in on why men are [expletive] with @TVNaga01."

Responding with wit, Naga simply quipped: "Thanks for the free Ad. x."

Shortly after the exchange, fans rushed to the comments section to show their support for the journalist, with one person writing: "Nothing but [love heart emoji] for Naga, a simple put down so eloquently put," while another commented: "Naga's subtlety, oozing class."

The line-up of BBC Breakfast presenters

1. Charlie Stayt
   
   The journalist joined BBC Breakfast back in 2006 and now hosts the show alongside Naga Munchetty from Thursday to Saturday. Prior to joining the BBC, Charlie was the principal anchor of Five News, fronting the programme's 9/11 coverage and Millennium celebrations.

2. Naga Munchetty
   
   The presenter joined the line-up of main presenters in 2014. Before landing a role on BBC Breakfast, she appeared on BBC World News, as well as BBC Two's weekday financial affairs programme, Working Lunch.

3. Sally Nugent
   
   Sally has been a main presenter on the show since 2021, replacing Louise Minchin following her departure after 20 years. Sally previously worked as a sports presenter on the show and covered various major sporting events for the BBC, including Emma Raducanu's historic victory in the US Open tennis championship in 2021.

4. Jon Kay
   
   The newsreader and journalist took over from Dan Walker following his exit in 2022. He previously worked as a news correspondent for BBC News at Six and covered major events such as the 2012 London Olympics and the 2015 general election campaign.

5. Carol Kirkwood
   
   Carol is the show's main weather presenter and has been waking up the nation with the weather forecast on the BBC for 30 years.

6. Nina Warhurst
   
   Nina is the show's main business presenter, having taken over from Steph McGovern in 2020. She often fills in as an anchor on the red sofa when the main hosts are absent.

7.  Ben Thompson
   
   Ben is a relief presenter and regularly stands in for the main hosts when they are away from the red sofa. He can also be seen on BBC News.

8. John Watson
   
   John is a sports presenter and has been working for the BBC since 2012, providing viewers will all the latest sports news and stories.

Naga's co-star Victoria Valentine also commented. "Pity I missed it!" she wrote.

Naga, who has been a regular presenter on BBC Breakfast since 2014, has previously addressed the criticism that she often faces from fans, and she revealed that her dress sense on the show is typically the prime target.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com earlier this year, Naga explained that she receives far more criticism over her appearance than her co-star Charlie Stayt. "I get more comments than Charlie but I think also that is because men just wear suits, so there isn't really too much to object to," she said.

"Whereas I don't wear suits and buy my own clothes. So inevitably people think they can comment on what I wear."

The broadcaster also shared a defiant response to online abuse during a previous interview with the Daily Mirror. "I'm on telly, I'm in your home, so if you want to criticise me, fine - but I'm not there to be abused," she said.

"You don't abuse someone while they're doing their job and you don't make racist, sexist or bigoted comments. If someone says, 'She did a bad job of that interview, I've come away and not understood anything', I would go back and re-examine that interview. Racist and sexist stuff, I just think, 'You're an idiot.'"