BBC Breakfast host Charlie Stayt was unexpectedly replaced by his colleague on Thursday (February 13).
Today’s edition of the popular morning news show saw regular anchor Naga Munchetty deliver the day’s top stories with Ben Thompson, who is no stranger to stepping in for the main presenters.
Charlie has been part of the BBC Breakfast team since 2006 as a relief presenter and became the permanent host for the Friday to Sunday slot in 2007. He previously filled in for the Monday to Wednesday slots before Jon Kay took over from Dan Walker in 2022.
Following the show’s move to Salford studios, Charlie and Naga have been the staple presenters from Thursday to Saturday mornings.
Jon and Sally Nugent also lead the programme from Monday to Wednesday, reports the Express.
The reason behind Charlie’s absence from today’s show remains unknown, and he has not yet commented on it via social media.
In this morning’s edition of BBC Breakfast, Naga and Ben were joined by Mike Bushell, who brought viewers the latest sports updates, including the intense Premier League clash between Everton and Liverpool on Wednesday (February 12).
Matt Taylor was on hand to cover for Carol Kirkwood to forecast the weather.
In other segments of the show, Naga and Ben shared “breaking” news regarding the UK economy, with the Office for National Statistics revealing that the economy had seen a growth of 0.1% in the last quarter of 2024 after experiencing three months of stagnation.
The duo then passed over to correspondent Ben Boulos, who elaborated on the significance of the new figures via a video link from a tea factory in Newcastle.
“It doesn’t sound much, but remember the expectation had been that it had shrunk, so this will be welcome news for the chancellor, for the government. They have repeatedly said that economic growth is the UK’s top priority; it is their focus, and what they feel that the UK really needs to focus on,” Ben conveyed.
He further stated: “This latest figure comes just a week, though, after the Bank of England halved its growth forecast for the coming year, expecting the UK economy growth by just 0.75% in 2025.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am