Former BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker has revealed how the morning news show has continued to survive despite several main presenters leaving the programme in recent years.
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Chatting to Olympic snowboarder Aimee Fuller on the latest edition of her podcast, Monday Mile, the 45-year-old journalist said that weather presenter Carol Kirkwood is "integral" to the show.
WATCH: Dan Walker bids heartfelt goodbye to BBC Breakfast
"When I left BBC Breakfast, some people were sort of like, 'How does Breakfast survive?" he started. "When Bill left it was hard, now you're going and Louise left six months ago.
"My point is always, the programme is much bigger than the people on it, apart from Carol Kirkwood."
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After adding that "there's something magical" about Carol, Dan went on to share a story about when he first introduced his former Strictly Come Dancing partner Nadiya Bychkova to the weather presenter during his time on the BBC dancing show in 2021.
Dan said Carol is "integral" to the show
"When I invited her along [to BBC Breakfast], I said to Nadiya, 'Listen, I know we've got on really well, but once you meet Carol, she'll be like your favourite person on the planet.'
"And Nadiya said to me after that show, 'You're right. I actually love Carol.'"
Dan worked as an anchor on BBC Breakfast from 2016 to 2022, when he left the show and joined 5 News on Channel 5.
Louise Minchin left BBC Breakfast eight months before Dan
The dad-of-three opened up about his reasons for moving to Channel 5 during one of his final shows on the BBC. He told his co-host Sally Nugent: "I think sometimes opportunities come along and you have to grab them, don't you?"
"And I've never ever been motivated by money in any job that I've ever taken, and even though I love BBC Breakfast, everybody that works on the show, this is a fantastic opportunity to work with a brilliant team at Channel 5 and also go and make some other programmes outside of news."
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