Presenter, 50, tells how strangers confront her to criticise her looks as she opens up about ‘toxic’ atmosphere at BBC amid bullying probe into show’s boss
BBC Breakfast’s Naga Munchetty has bravely revealed the shocking verbal abuse she faces from trolls who approach her in public to make vile comments about her appearance and presenting style.
The 50-year-old newsreader opened up about the cruel jibes during an appearance on Emily Dean’s podcast ‘Walking The Dog With Emily Dean’, revealing that strangers regularly feel entitled to criticise everything from her weight to her wardrobe choices.
In a defiant stand against her tormentors, Munchetty detailed how she’s changed her approach to dealing with the haters – refusing to engage with their nastiness and maintaining her dignity in the face of unprovoked attacks.
The revelations come as BBC Breakfast faces an internal bullying probe, with editor Richard Frediani taking extended leave amid allegations of creating a ‘toxic’ atmosphere behind the scenes.
‘You Look So Wide on Television’
In shocking revelations about the abuse she faces, Munchetty shared some of the worst comments strangers have made to her face.
“The best thing people say is, ‘Oh, you’re not as fat as you look on telly,'” she revealed, her voice dripping with irony at the supposed ‘compliment.’
One particularly cruel encounter involved a woman who recognised her in public and immediately commented on her appearance.
“On the television you look so wide, so wide on the television,” the woman told her, before having the audacity to ask: “What size are you?”
Munchetty admitted that in her younger days, she would have politely answered such invasive questions. “I probably even told her my size… and I was so polite,” she recalled.
But now, with more confidence and experience, she’s changed her approach. “Whereas now I’d say, ‘I don’t think I need to tell you what size clothes I wear, do I?’ And I’d say it in a nice-ish way with a bit of a smile, irony.”
‘I Don’t Like You on Telly’
Perhaps even more baffling are the people who approach Munchetty simply to tell her they don’t enjoy watching her present.
“I’ve had people come up to me saying, ‘I don’t like you on telly. Your radio show’s all right, it’s quite interesting, but I don’t like you on telly. I never watch you,'” she shared.
The presenter revealed how she’s learned to brush off such comments rather than engaging with them as she might have done when younger.
“I kind of don’t even rise to it now. I don’t engage in it. Whereas before, I think when I was younger, I’d have said, ‘what don’t you like?’ I don’t care,” she said.
Other cruel comments include people criticising her outfit choices, with strangers telling her: “I don’t like what you’re wearing today.”
Her response? “Alright, I’m not wearing it for you, I’m just wearing clothes.”
The Burden of Being BBC
Munchetty explained that being a recognisable face of the BBC means she’s constantly mindful of her behaviour in public, knowing she represents the corporation wherever she goes.
When you work for the BBC or work for any organisation, you are representing them because people recognise you,” she explained. And if you’re seen as the face of the BBC, you unconsciously, but necessarily uphold certain values.
She admitted there would be “slight disappointment” if viewers saw her “rip roaring drunk, rolling around the floor and shouting profanities” – though she was quick to clarify: “Not that I want to go and, I don’t know, take a dump in public or something like that.”
The broadcaster revealed she does “watch” herself because of this responsibility, acknowledging that having a public profile means “things can be amplified really quickly.”
‘People Don’t Think They’re Hurting Someone’s Feelings’
Munchetty offered a damning assessment of how social media and public recognition have emboldened people to say whatever they want without considering the impact.
“People believe they can say whatever they want to say and hurt and not think if they’re hurting someone’s feelings and not think if what they’re doing is actually productive or just saying things for the sake of things,” she explained.
She pointed out the absurdity of strangers feeling their opinion is so important they need to share their dislike with someone they don’t even know.
“You think your opinion is so important that you get to tell me you don’t like me? Some stranger, I’m a stranger to you,” she said.
BBC Breakfast in Crisis
The podcast revelations come amid reports that BBC Breakfast is facing its biggest crisis in years, with an internal review examining bullying allegations against editor Richard Frediani.
Sources claim Munchetty herself has raised concerns about Frediani’s conduct, with one insider revealing she’s “quite open” about her misgivings regarding his treatment of colleagues.
The 50-year-old is reportedly “barely speaking” to her boss, with tensions between presenters and management described as “rife.”
However, in a surprising twist, some BBC Breakfast staff have rushed to defend Frediani, with one insider telling The Mirror: “He is not a bully at all and the truth will come out.
Staff Divided Over ‘Loathed’ Boss
The newsroom appears deeply divided over Frediani, who has been editor since 2019. While some staff members have lodged formal complaints describing him as “tyrannical” and “aggressive,” others insist he’s simply doing his job.
“He’s a great boss and was – and is still – overwhelmingly loved by the team, who respect his drive, expertise, and journalistic ambition,” one supporter claimed.
Another added: “Yes, he is old-school and can rub people up the wrong way but it’s always in the pursuit of great television.”
But critics paint a darker picture, with allegations including claims he physically shook a female colleague during a newsroom confrontation, “screamed” down the phone at other BBC desks, and created an “intimidating” atmosphere.
Presenter Power vs Editorial Control
Some defenders of Frediani have suggested the conflict represents a clash between “presenter power” and editorial authority.
“Some – Naga included – need to understand this,” one source said. “It feels like it’s a case of presenter power turfing out a brilliant journalist.”
The controversy has reportedly “blown up” in staff WhatsApp groups, with the newsroom deeply divided over who’s in the right.
A BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously.
Standing Strong Against the Haters
Despite the turmoil behind the scenes and the cruel comments from the public, Munchetty remains defiant.
Her message to the trolls is clear: their opinions don’t matter, and she won’t let their nastiness affect her.
As she put it: “They’ve chosen to say something about me and it’s affecting me. I can’t be comparing myself to everyone else.”
For a woman who’s faced racism controversies, health battles with adenomyosis, and now finds herself at the centre of a workplace bullying storm, Naga Munchetty’s resilience in the face of public cruelty is nothing short of remarkable.
Whether dealing with strangers who think they have the right to comment on her body or navigating a reportedly toxic workplace, one thing is clear: Naga Munchetty isn’t backing down from any fight.
Image credit: Photo by Dean Calma / IAEA Imagebank, taken on 8 November 2021 at the “International Conference on a Decade of Progress after Fukushima‑Daiichi” in Vienna, Austria, featuring moderator Naga Munchetty. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
Image page: View on Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}