Naga Munchetty: BBC Breakfast host broke down after racist insult ‘I started crying’

BBC Breakfast: Naga Munchetty tries telling jokes to Charlie

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Naga Munchetty, 46, has spoken out ahead of hosting Monday’s Panorama programme Let’s Talk About Race, on her own experience of prejudice while growing up in Peckham, South London. The BBC Breakfast presenter shared the emotional moment she lost her best friend at school-aged seven after he called her a racist insult.

I didn’t want to go to school

Naga Munchetty

Naga recalled: “I was in infant school and it was a boy who was one of my best friends.

“We hung out all the time. In the playground, chatting, collecting acorns, you know what kids do.” 

Her voice quivering, she took a moment before going further.  

“One day he just said ‘I’m not going to play with you anymore because you’re a P**i.”

The star described the incident as “really emotional and painful” to talk about. 

Naga’s mother is from India and her father is from Mauritius.

She did not tell her parents about the incident, but they could tell something was on her mind.

“I loved school, had a thirst for learning. But I didn’t want to go to school,” she explained to The Independent.

“She didn’t push me, but she went to speak to my dad and then they both came in and asked why. I started crying.”

During Monday’s Panorama, Naga will meet with other victims of racism and discuss their experiences of prejudice.

The show will also tackle “white privilege” as the BBC Breakfast star visits Blyth in Northumberland, which is a 98 per cent white area.

Naga admitted working on the programme had brought her “hope” as she felt encouraged that young people would be more open about discussing race.

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The star has worked at the BBC since 2008, and now presents BBC Breakfast three days a week alongside her new radio commitments.

Naga, who is known for being a trailblazer, also previously discussed how she had spoken directly to her BBC colleagues including Dan Walker and Charlie Stayt about the gender pay gap.

She told The Times: “We were all very open about what we had and we all wanted to be paid fairly and equally. 

“It took a while to sort because it just wasn’t the norm to talk about salaries,” she added.

It comes as Naga replaced Emma Barnett, in the BBC Radio 5 Live slot after the broadcaster’s move to Woman’s Hour.

The star made her debut at the beginning of the year to the sound of dance track U Sure Do by Strike, promising her new listeners that they would soon “get to know each other”.

She said: “I am so excited to be on board with you on this, the morning show we are making together. We are going to get to know each other, I promise. There is so much to talk about.”

BBC Panorama: Let’s Talk about Race is on BBC One on Monday at 7pm. 

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