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Morning Live presenter Helen Skelton is one of the TV stars tipped to replace Naga Munchetty on BBC Breakfast.
Munchetty, 51, announced last month that she is leaving the BBC’s morning flagship show after 17 years and moving to Radio 5 Live in January 2027.
It comes after she was reportedly investigated last summer following complaints of bullying over a three-year period.
She was accused of bullying a female colleague and making a “wildly unprofessional” off-air sex joke that left a co-worker “humiliated”, as well as apparently telling off intern over how they spread Marmite on her toast.
As Munchetty hosts the show with presenter Charlie Stayt, it is thought that another female presenter will get the role alongside him.
Skelton, 43, who has faced relentless romance rumours with her BBC Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones, is thought to be in the running for the job.
Helen Skelton has hosted BBC’s Morning Live since 2023BBCCoral bookmakers gave Skelton odds of 5/1 of taking Munchetty’s place. She joined Morning Live in 2023 and is often praised for her friendly demeanour and easy chemistry with Jones.
However, the latest figures reveal Sally Nugent, 54, is still the favourite to replace Munchetty.
The TV star, who often hosts the show alongside Jon Kay, has odds of 1/2 of being given the role.
Other presenters thought to be in the mix include BBC Breakfast star Sarah Campbell at 7/1, while Steph McGovern, who was the business presenter for BBC Breakfast, is on 6/1.
Tina Daheley is at 8/1, while Emma Vardy and Luxmy Gopal, who are both familiar faces on the show, are at 10/1 and 12/1 respectively. Victoria Derbyshire is currently on 14/1.
Last week, sources claimed Nugent, 54, impressed producers with her tense interview with Nigel Farage.
Naga Munchetty is leaving BBC Breakfast after 17 years BBC"Bosses were thrilled with Sally Nugent’s recent interview with Nigel Farage and called down to say they wanted Sally covering more chats of that ilk. That used to be Naga’s domain," an insider told The Sun.
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"It was obviously compared to the Kemi car crash from Naga. Everyone sees Sally as the future of the show and more generally the vibe is all about positivity for a new chapter."
Nugent butted heads with Farage last month as she questioned him on why he failed to declare a £5 million donation and asked him much of the money he had spent.
She also confronted him over political mandates when he demanded a general election, pointing out questions over his own party's alignment.
Farage hit back, insisting “no-one cares” about the £5 million gift and saying the details of how he spent it were "literally none of your business". He also compared the situation to discussing Nugent's and Nick Robinson's BBC salaries.
Munchetty presents BBC Breakfast alongside Stayt every Thursday to Saturday, having joined the show in 2009.
Sally Nugent is still the frontrunner to replace MunchettyBBCShe was accused last year of being “hard” and “bullying” her coworkers and came under fire for two alleged incidents over a three-year period, according to a number of sources.
In 2022, she allegedly used a crude word for a sex act and asked a colleague if they had done it.
The exact comment hasn’t been reported, however one source claimed it was, “crass, inappropriate and wildly unprofessional,” and added: “The person felt embarrassed.”
Munchetty was also accused of bullying a woman last year, with The Sun claiming she allegedly accused a younger staffer of stealing, without presenting evidence.
“It was humiliating. There was no evidence, no apology. The woman left not long after, completely demoralised,” an insider said.
Munchetty with co-host Charlie Stayt on BBC BreakfastPA MediaIn a separate alleged incident, Munchetty was accused of telling off an intern over the quality of her Marmite on toast.
In November, BBC bosses reportedly escalated their review into an official investigation into Munchetty’s alleged behaviour after more complaints were made.
It was later claimed the broadcaster assigned watchdogs to keep a close eye on Munchetty in the studios while the probe took place and she was allowed to remain on-air but would have members of production monitoring her.
The investigation has since been “quietly closed”, The Sun reported. The outcome was never made public.
Munchetty said of her BBC Breakfast departure: “Presenting a flagship programme on 5 Live is an opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. It will take a huge amount of work and require 100% of my focus and energy, and I'm really looking forward to throwing myself into the role.
“Between now and January, I'll continue presenting the two programmes I love. I'm sure there will be plenty of news to cover, and it will very much be business as usual."