It’s been another fraught week for the BBC – from the scandal swirling around the shock sacking of Scott Mills to losing their beloved weather woman, Carol Kirkwood, after three decades on-air.
With tensions behind the scenes at an all-time high, the last thing BBC bosses needed was another slew of unfavourable headlines.
But that’s exactly what’s been sparked by, of all things, an apparent dig at viewers’ favourite Carol from BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty – with insiders telling the Daily Mail ‘she just can’t help herself’.
The newsreader, 51, has been criticised for a seemingly brutal parting shot at Carol, 63, during her final appearance on Wednesday’s show.
After playing some of her on-screen highlights, Naga joked: ‘I am just waiting for the countdown for you to go.’ Ouch!
To add salt to the perceived wound, Naga also conspicuously failed to join other newsreaders in doing a pre-recorded solo tribute. Instead, she handed Carol a painting of Little Miss Sunshine by Mr Men illustrator Adam Hargreaves, quipping: ‘So here is a rare glimpse into me being lovely to you… So what do we call you? Not off-air! On-air. Little Miss Sunshine, maybe?’
It is no secret that Naga is talented at live presenting, and readily able to improvise when things go wrong. But this is far from the first time she has landed herself in hot water with on-air digs at colleagues.
One BBC insider tells me: ‘It certainly was bizarre and there were awkward laughs from the production staff, I am told. The problem is that Naga just can’t help herself sometimes, and it’s significantly backfired, right in the week when the rest of the BBC needed to behave.
‘It raises the question of how she is still there. She is great at her job. But it’s seeming to become a series of sly and awkward jabs – all on live television.
‘It’s just not what the BBC needs right now as it comes into a hopefully new and fresh era [as former Google executive Matt Brittin becomes the new director-general].’
Naga’s remarks could, of course, be written off as simply friendly teasing between two women who have worked alongside each other for years. Indeed, in a recent interview, Carol – who is retiring to travel and enjoy more time with her police officer husband Steve Randall – was at pains to explain: ‘I love Naga and we just have banter. I love the camaraderie between us and everyone. It’s a good, fun job.’
Nevertheless, viewers have been quick to voice their shock. One penned on X: ‘Naga tried her usual gotcha tactics to embarrass Carol,’ while another wrote: ‘Maybe Naga and Carol really didn’t get on…’
It’s not the first time worried viewers have pointed out the apparent on-air tension. Naga hit out at Carol for ‘abusing’ her live on air by mistakenly calling her ‘Nana’ in 2022.
The former said: ‘I think Nana is a phantom producer that you just make up so you can abuse me by mispronouncing my name.’ Holding her face in her hands, Carol quipped back: ‘The shame, Naga, the shame.’
A separate incident saw Naga tell her co-star she looked ‘really stern’ as Carol got ready to present the forecast for Christmas.
Whatever the truth, it’s well-known that Naga has clashed with fellow presenters and off-camera staff at BBC Breakfast.
Naga, who is married to television director and broadcast consultant James Haggar, faces an uncertain future at the BBC after the corporation reportedly instigated a formal investigation following accusations of bullying against her.
In August, TV sources claimed several colleagues had logged concerns over her ‘hard’ behaviour on the breakfast show, as well as on her Radio 5 Live show.
At the time, bosses launched a review. According to reports, this has now escalated to a formal probe after further complaints were made.
The TV host, who started working on the programme in 2009, is paid between £355,000 and £359,999 a year for BBC Breakfast and fronting her Radio 5 show. She has also competed on Strictly Come Dancing, making it to week four with partner Pasha Kovalev in 2016.
Naga’s conduct first came under scrutiny when BBC Breakfast’s editor Richard Frediani reportedly took an extended period of leave after an internal review of bullying and misconduct allegations was opened into the show.
In September, it was reported that he had been cleared of wrongdoing and a formal investigation would not be launched – something presenting duo Naga and Charlie Stayt were said to be furious about.
When Richard returned, relations between them ‘turned sour’ and he reportedly made it clear he could no longer directly manage the duo.
Meanwhile, Naga was reportedly spoken to by executives after a junior staffer accused the journalist of bullying them.
According to The Sun, she is said to have kicked off at a terrified intern over how they spread Marmite on her toast. In another diva strop, the presenter also moaned that her porridge was ‘too hot’ and the blueberry topping wasn’t to her liking.
She was also allegedly hauled into a meeting after she made a crude jibe during an ad break in 2022 while hosting her radio show. The presenter is believed to have used a slang term for a sex act and reportedly asked a colleague if they had ever done it.
At the time, the BBC said in a statement: ‘While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values.
‘We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.’
Naga herself is believed to have grown tired of all the pettiness. She was said to be looking for another job, but appears to have had no success. Sources say she is determined not to be pushed out.
And with BBC insiders complimenting how talented she is, it seems all Naga needs to do is tone down the jibes and off-screen demands.
Only time will tell whether she can manage it.
