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BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent goes solo as Jon Kay leaves studio in format change

Nicky Morris
·5-min read
Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast
Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast (BBC)

BBC Breakfast looked a little different than usual on Tuesday as Sally Nugent hosted the show alone in the studio while her co-star Jon Kay presented a report from Abergavenny in Wales.

At the beginning of the programme, Jon explained to viewers that he would be broadcasting from Llanfoist Fawr Primary School for a special edition of the show to celebrate the launch of the UK's biggest children's writing competition, 500 Words.

Jon Kay presented the show from a school in Abergavenny, Wales
Jon Kay presented the show from a school in Abergavenny, Wales (BBC)

Meanwhile, Sally kept viewers up to date with the latest news headlines from the studio in Salford's Media City.

Later on in the show, a prerecorded video saw Jon joined by Sir Lenny Henry, one of the judges of the writing competition, at Buckingham Palace, where the final will be held next year.

During the clip, Lenny read aloud a poem sent from Queen Camilla, asking him to tell viewers how to enter the competition.

Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast
Sally Nugent hosted the show alone in the studio on Tuesday (BBC)

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She signed off the letter with the words: "The hunt is on. We seek a star. The best of luck – Camilla R."

The competition encourages children aged 5-7 and 8-11 to send in stories for a chance to win a host of prizes, with finalists receiving a £20 National Book Token. Bronze, silver and gold winners of each age group will have their stories read by celebrities.

Jon Kay and Sir Lenny Henry at Buckingham Palace
Jon Kay and Sir Lenny Henry at Buckingham Palace (BBC)

For more details on the competition, which was first launched by radio host Chris Evans in 2011, visit the BBC website.

The line-up of BBC Breakfast presenters

Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast
(BBC)

  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.

Tuesday's special programme isn't the only change to BBC Breakfast in recent days. Carol Kirkwoodreturned to the show on Monday following some time off.

The weather presenter received a warm welcome from her co-stars, with Sally saying:  "Morning Carol, welcome back!"

Carol replied: "Thank you Sal, it's good to be back!"

Viewers of the show were equally as pleased to see the Scottish star return to the studio and took to social media to welcome her back.

Carol Kirkwood peach dress
Carol Kirkwood returned to the show on Monday after some time off (getty)

One person wrote on Twitter, now X, "Good morning Carol and anyone else reading this. Not seen you in ages. You have been missed," while another added: "Morning Carol, nice to have you back."

MORE: Carol Kirkwood's home life away from BBC Breakfast cameras

SEE:BBC Breakfast stars' rarely pictured homes: Carol Kirkwood, Naga Munchetty and more

A third fan commented: "Welcome Back Carol and good morning."

During her time off work, Carol no doubt enjoyed spending some time with her loved ones, including her fiancé Steve Randall.

Carol Kirkwood and partner Steve Randall at The Radio Times Covers Party at Claridge's Hotel
Carol is engaged to former police officer Steve Randall (Can Nguyen/Shutterstock)

Steve popped the question last year and Carol announced the news live on BBC Breakfastwhile giving the latest weather report from the Chelsea Flower Show.

In a recent interview, Carol revealed that she and Steve haven't yet set a date. Speaking to The Mirror in August, the 61-year-old said: "I do want to get married again. We're very happy and we're loved up, and we're delighted to be together, but we haven't got a wedding date yet.

Sharing her hopes for their big day, she added: "I think we'll have an intimate wedding. We don't want to just squeeze it in, we want it to be a celebration."