This week, the atmosphere on-screen has been determinedly cosy and jovial.
But make no mistake: behind the scenes at BBC Breakfast, battle lines are being drawn. And everyone from famous hosts to lowly runners are picking sides, either falling in behind one of the show’s best-known hosts, the forthright Naga Munchetty – or her abrasive editor, Richard Frediani.
The pair’s long-running enmity finally boiled over into the public eye this week, when Naga complained to bosses about what she perceived to be Frediani’s bullying behaviour.
Quite simply, I’m told, she’d had enough. Naga made the decision to raise what has been described as ‘abhorrent’ behaviour by the editor to stick up for her more junior colleagues who were being ‘trampled over’ by Team Frediani.
However, her decision to take on Frediani had immediate personal consequences – and a fierce briefing war against Naga has now begun.
So, who will come out on top?
The first visible salvo in the Breakfast battle came on Wednesday, when Naga’s co-host Charlie Stayt arrived at the corporation’s London HQ to meet with his BBC bosses.
Normally, Charlie’s working day would take place at the Corporation’s northern base in Salford – but instead, he was chauffeur-driven from his home in Twickenham, south-west London, to an urgent summit to discuss the catastrophic fall-out between his on-screen partner and his editor.
Insiders on the show have told me Naga has been made a ‘scapegoat’, writes Katie Hind. Pictured on BBC Breakfast with co-presenter Charlie Stayt and Geri Halliwell-Horner
Frediani has been editor of BBC Breakfast since 2019 and has been accused of cultivating a toxic ‘boys blub’ atmosphere
Stayt’s allegiances are somewhat unclear, with sources saying he just wants the feud to end
Charlie, 63, will not be alone in being asked to meet with the upper echelons. Other staff on the show will be summoned by BBC top brass and HR as the investigation into Richard Frediani takes place. I’m told several staff members have been – or will be – called to share their experiences.
Frediani is on extended leave after years of complaints against him, at least one of which was upheld, although many have been dismissed.
Those who know him say that he’s ‘desperate to return to his job’ and will be hoping his colleagues back him under questioning.
It’s not guaranteed that they all will, however: insiders on the show have taken the view that Naga, 50, is merely a ‘scapegoat’ for Frediani, who has been Breakfast’s editor since 2019.
Known for having favourites, his small, select ‘banter’ circle of white, straight men apparently meant there was a culture of ‘boys club favouritism’.
I’m told should Frediani come back from his leave – which I understand to be ongoing for the investigation’s duration – Naga will find her position untenable.
One source tells me: ‘Because of Naga’s sharp tongue and direct manner, she was an easy scapegoat for those who are backing Frediani. She was a sitting duck to drag into this row.
‘Frediani has a lot of mates. It’s all a bit toxic masculinity and the victim of this is Naga. It really is a case of it being war between the two. The briefing wars are becoming vicious: dated complaints about Naga are being rehashed to make her look bad and to take the focus off of Frediani.
Geri Halliwell-Horner’s awkward Breakfast interview with Naga and Charlie Stayt has resurfaced
‘But the truth is that most of the staff on Breakfast find Naga really quite pleasant.
‘It’s all rather obvious where all this is coming from. Should Frediani return, Naga will almost surely be on her way.
‘We could be looking at it being a “him or her” situation.’
Some of the vicious briefing against Naga can be seen in last weekend’s claim that she was reprimanded by BBC bosses over two incidents in the course of three years, including an accusation that she bullied a junior member of staff. I’m told that this was not upheld.
The negative briefing went even further back into the archives on Thursday when it emerged that BBC bosses were forced to apologise to Geri Halliwell-Horner back in 2023 after a very awkward interview with Naga and Charlie. The former Spice Girl was caught off guard as Naga asked her: ‘Do you not like being interviewed?’
After the segment ended, Geri, 52, reportedly said she never wanted to appear on the show opposite the pair again.
Dig a little deeper, though, and a more nuanced picture emerges: Geri appeared on Breakfast to promote her latest novel.
Naga probed Geri on whether she had ‘researched’ her interviewers before they spoke, while Charlie accused her of ‘pointing her finger’ a lot during the chat.
During the discussion, Naga said: ‘You’ve come in, making sure you’ve done your research on us as well, haven’t you?’
Charlie then jumped in and said: ‘Also, you point your finger quite a lot, to be honest.’
Shocked, she replied: ‘Is that rude?! I’m so sorry Charlie.’ Naga then bluntly said: ‘Do you not like being interviewed?’
Breakfast insiders point out that, once again, Naga got the bad rap, even though Charlie was also involved in the interview.
One should note that Frediani’s behaviour has long attracted negative attention. Indeed, I first revealed there had been complaints about his bullish managerial style in April 2020, just months after he started working at the Corporation.
In that short period of time since his arrival, a series of complaints had already been made about an ‘intimidating and bullying’ culture on Breakfast, which led to long-term members of staff leaving their jobs.
One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told me that ‘the whole atmosphere had become poisonous’ and like a ‘boys club’.
They added: ‘There is a normalisation of people crying at work and on their journeys home. There are favourites, and it is made explicitly clear to everyone in the newsroom who they are.’
Two months ago, I told how Frediani was the subject of at least two misconduct complaints, including one from a woman who had her grievance upheld after claiming he physically shook her during a heated newsroom exchange last year.
One source said: ‘It’s the women who got it worse from Frediani and his clan. It’s more often than not the women who get humiliated and shouted at.’
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Fascinatingly, Frediani has the support of two other female Breakfast hosts: Nina Warhurst, who Frediani transformed into an anchor of the programme, as well as from Sally Nugent, who has been a presenter since 2021.
Stand-in host Jon Kay is also said to be affiliated to Frediani.
Perhaps coincidentally, all three have roles as newsreaders on the newly relaunched News at One programme which Frediani was put in charge of last year by the BBC’s CEO of news and current affairs, Deborah Turness.
Frediani’s job on News at One infuriated employees who saw it as bosses rewarding his foul behaviour. While Turness will have to remain impartial, she has, I’m told, ‘a soft spot’ for Frediani, having known him since he was in his 20s.
Other BBC staff have also supported Frediani, saying: ‘He is not a bully at all and the truth will come out. He’s a great boss and was – and is still – overwhelmingly loved by the team, who respect his drive, expertise, and journalistic ambition. He has delivered great audiences and the first ever Bafta for Breakfast. He can be brash and opinionated but works so hard for his team and allows people to flourish.’
Another said: ‘Yes, he is old-school and can rub people up the wrong way but it’s always in the pursuit of great television.’
Team Naga, in contrast, is less high profile – but she believes she has ‘the truth on her side’.
As for Charlie Stayt, there have long been rumours that he and Naga don’t get on – though she insisted that they are ‘friends’.
Hours after Charlie’s visit to the BBC, he was notably absent from his spot on the sofa next to Naga for Thursday’s show.
Which begs the questions: whose side is Charlie on? And just what did he share with his bosses? ‘Charlie just wants to get on with his job,’ says a show source. ‘He will be wishing none of this had ever begun. He doesn’t want the drama.’
For now, I’m assured the saga won’t die down anytime soon.
‘We’re far from a ceasefire,’ concedes one BBC insider wearily.