BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has hit back at "idiots" who send her racist and sexist messages on Twitter.
The 41-year-old said she accepts valid criticism of her work but refuses to be upset by social media users who launch personal attacks and claim she was only hired for "political correctness".
Ms Munchetty, who presents the breakfast show three days a week, told the Daily Mirror: "I'm on telly, I'm in your home, so if you want to criticise me, fine. I've put myself there and can't complain that someone has an opinion about me.
"But I'm not there to be abused. Nobody is there to be abused."
Ms Munchetty said she would review her performance if she was criticised for an interview but dismissed those who called her a "BBC race card" or said she had been "employed for PC reasons rather than capability", as a recent tweet did.
She replied to that troll: "Thanks for that - what a valuable contributor to Twitter you are. x"
Ms Munchetty explained: "Racist and sexist stuff, I just think, 'You're an idiot'.
"I'm not going to go home going, 'I'm so upset someone's called me a racist word', or said I'm a woman, I can't do a job. They're idiots. You can't waste your energy on idiots."
Ms Munchetty, who co-anchors BBC Breakfast with Louise Minchin, Dan Walker and Charlie Stayt, also addressed the controversy over who takes the most senior position on the sofa.
Producers came under fire for seating the less-experienced Mr Walker rather than Ms Minchin on the viewer's left - considered the prime spot - when he joined the show in February.
Ms Munchetty said "none of the presenters care" which side they are on and that Mr Walker was given the spot to help camera angles.
