Changing face of BBC Breakfast over the years – Dan Walker to Susanna Reid

Posted on : October 4, 2022
Changing face of BBC Breakfast over the years – Dan Walker to Susanna Reid

Many have come and gone from the BBC Breakfast show, with Dan Walker being the most recent presenter to bow out.

Walker left the show in May 2022 after six years to work as Channel 5's news anchor and host other programmes on the channel as well.

Before that, Louise Minchin was the last BBC Breakfast veteran to leave the popular morning show, waving goodbye in September 2021 after 20 years on the channel.

The show, which regularly brings in over five million viewers each morning, has a format that is familiar and the presenters have become well-loved national treasures.

So who has presented from the famous red sofa?

Who has presented BBC Breakfast?

The familiar red sofas first aired in the format of Breakfast Time in January 1983.

It was Britain's first regular early morning TV programme and was headed by presenters Frank Bough and Selina Scott. Astrologist Russell Grant also featured, alongside Diana Moran, Michael Smith and Glynn Christian.

BBC legends like Nicholas Witchell, Jill Dando, Fiona Bruce and Kirsty Walk all presented the show Breakfast Time during the 1990s.

Its first line-up as BBC Breakfast in 2000 included war correspondent Jeremy Bowen, Darren Jordan, Sophie Raworth and Sarah Montague.

Favourites Sian Williams and Bill Turnbull both joined in 2001, before leaving in 2012 and 2016 respectively. Sadly, Bill died in August 2022 after years of battling prostate cancer.

Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood joined the Breakfast team in 1997 and has been a regular ever since.

Dan Walker presented from Monday to Wednesday and Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on Thursday to Saturday.

Each were often joined by guest presenters and Sally Nugent, who joined the team in 2011.

Susanna Reid, now at rival show Good Morning Britain, first presented for the show in 2001.

When did BBC Breakfast start?

After its introduction in 1983, Breakfast Time lasted until 1989, when it became Breakfast News.

Breakfast News then merged with the programme on BBC News 24 – now the BBC News channel – called Breakfast 24, in 2000. It has remained in broadly the same format ever since.

Breakfast Time surprised competitors in 1983 due to what was considered a very un-BBC-like format.

BBC Breakfast is more news-based, but may well have learned a few tricks from its predecessors when putting across the lighter side of the news.

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