BBC Breakfast host Naga Munchetty has reflected on the difficult treatment she faced at the start of her journalism career.
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The 47-year-old, who is one of the BBC's most sought-after journalists, has been a part of the corporation since 2008 when she began reading bulletins on Working Lunch.
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However, at the beginning of her career when she was a print journalist, Naga confessed she was once brought to tears after a senior colleague dismissed her work.
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"I was told I was [explicit] useless," she told Radio Times. "I did go home many a day in tears, but equally, I learnt not to make mistakes, that mistakes weren't acceptable.
"That fear of making a mistake meant that you did your research twice as well, and to the best of your ability." Naga soon turned to broadcasting, and is now one of the main presenters on BBC Breakfast.
© Photo: Getty ImagesNaga is one of the prime presenters on BBC Breakfast
Although, the former Strictly Come Dancing star was told to "toughen up" when she first expressed an interest in broadcast journalism.
"I remember when I first decided I wanted to explore being on air, I was told, 'You are quite sensitive,'" she added. "'You do take criticism quite hard and you dwell on things. You need to toughen up.' And I did."
Naga is the second longest-serving member of the current presenting team on BBC Breakfast. She joined the show in 2009, becoming a main presenter in 2014 alongside Charlie Stayt, Louise Minchin and Dan Walker.
From January 2021, Naga became a presenter on Radio 5 from Mondays to Wednesdays replacing Emma Barnett, who moved to Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
