Entertainment

Naga Munchetty returns to work on BBC Breakfast

It will be her first screen appearance since the BBC ruled that she breached editorial guidelines.
It will be her first screen appearance since the BBC ruled that she breached editorial guidelines. It will be her first screen appearance since the BBC ruled that she breached editorial guidelines.

Naga Munchetty returns to work on BBC Breakfast today for the first time since she was at the centre of an impartiality row over her criticism of Donald Trump.

Munchetty, 44, appears alongside her co-host Charlie Stayt, live from the BBC studios in Salford, Greater Manchester.

It is her first on-screen appearance on the BBC Breakfast sofa since a ruling originally made by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) was overturned by the corporation’s Director-General Tony Hall.

The ECU had originally ruled that comments she made about the US President broke its editorial guidelines.

BBC signage
BBC signage The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit ruled she broke editorial guidelines (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The ruling followed a July broadcast during which Munchetty condemned comments made by Trump about his political rivals, after he told female Democrats to “go back” to their own countries.

The ECU ruled her assertion that Trump’s comments were embedded in racism went beyond what the BBC allows, and a complaint made about the presenter’s comments was partially upheld.

This sparked a backlash and several prominent black and Asian journalists and broadcasters, including Sir Lenny Henry and Krishnan Guru-Murthy, called for the decision to be reversed.

Royal Television Society convention
Royal Television Society convention BBC director-general Lord Tony Hall (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

On Monday, the corporation’s director-general Lord Hall overturned the decision, saying in an email to staff: “I don’t think Naga’s words were sufficient to merit a partial uphold of the complaint around the comments she made.”

Munchetty has not yet commented.