BBC Breakfast: Schedule Revamp Amid Presenter Change

On Monday morning, viewers tuning into BBC Breakfast found some unexpected changes. The popular current affairs show was bumped from its traditional BBC One slot to make room for the Paris Olympics coverage. As a result, the program transitioned halfway through to BBC Two.

At 8am, presenter Sally Nugent informed the audience of the shift, stating, “Now we are on BBC Two from 9 o’clock this morning.”

Ben Thompson, co-hosting alongside Sally, echoed the announcement with a farewell message. “This is the point where we say goodbye to viewers on BBC One. We are heading over to BBC Two, see you there. Bye, bye for now,” he said.

But the schedule shake-up wasn’t the only change on Monday’s show. Regular presenter Jon Kay was conspicuously absent from his seat next to Sally. Typically, Jon and Sally co-host the program from Monday to Wednesday, with Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt taking over from Thursday to Saturday.

Instead, BBC News presenter Ben Thompson, who often fills in for the main hosts, joined Sally in the studio. The unexplained absence of Jon Kay comes just days after an announcement regarding his other gig. Jon and his BBC Radio 4 co-star Nikki Bedi recently shared that Saturday Live would be on a summer break.

During the latest episode of the radio show, Jon mentioned that Saturday Live would be off air for the next month, with plans to return in September. This break might offer Jon some much-needed time to spend with his family in Bristol.

Jon has had a hectic schedule lately. Earlier this month, he teamed up with Sophie Raworth to host the BBC’s coverage of the general election results, a live broadcast that lasted for nine hours from Westminster. Reflecting on the significant assignment, Jon wrote on Instagram, “Well, that was a mammoth shift! Nine hours on air – and it went in a flash. An absolute honor to co-present Friday’s rolling election coverage live from Westminster on BBC One.”

He went on to thank his co-presenter Sophie Raworth, the production team, guests, and viewers. “Massive thanks to the brilliant Sophie Raworth and to the whole team who worked so hard over the last few weeks to make sure everything was ready. And huge thanks to all our guests and the millions of viewers who chose to spend Friday with us.”

Jon Kay is a familiar face to BBC viewers, having spent three decades with the broadcaster. His journalism career began in the 1990s as a reporter. After starting at BBC Radio Bristol, he joined BBC News as a correspondent. In July 2022, Jon was officially named a main presenter of BBC Breakfast, taking over from Dan Walker, who moved to Channel 5.

The shift in scheduling and change in presenters highlight the dynamic nature of live television, especially during significant global events like the Olympics. While regular viewers might have been surprised by Monday’s alterations, it offered an opportunity to showcase the adaptable nature of the BBC Breakfast team.

Source: BBC, Instagram