BBC Breakfast introduces new presenter to show – viewers have same reaction

BBC Breakfast welcomed a new face to the show on Monday morning in the form of business presenter Emma Vardy. 

Emma, who is the Ireland Correspondent for BBC News, made her debut on the show to give hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay all the latest news on the Royal Mail's new barcoded stamps. 

Ahead of her appearance on the programme, Emma took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a selfie from the BBC Breakfast studio, which showed Jon waving from the iconic red sofa. 

© BBC

She wrote in the caption: "Good morning from Manchester!! Granted a rare release from Northern Ireland to bring you some business news on @BBCBreakfast.

"@jonkay01 waving from this side of the Irish Sea border. Back soon…"

Jon was quick to welcome the new presenter and responded to the tweet with the message: "Welcome to the #BBCBreakfast gang @EmmaVardyTV."

© @EmmaVardyTV/X

Viewers of the show reacted to Emma's appearance on social media, with many pleased to see the broadcaster on their screens. Commenting on Emma's post, one person wrote: "Great Emma, so good to have you from Ireland. Welcome," while another added: "Good to see you on Breakfast."

A third person commented: "Always a pleasure to have a smiling person on our screens," while another quipped: "Good to see you Emma. Is it now a rule, BBC breakfast business presenters have to be pregnant? Don't tell @BBCBenThompson."

© Danny Lawson - PA Images

Emma was standing in for business presenter Nina Warhurst, who is currently away on maternity leave having welcomed her third baby earlier this month. 

The new arrival was announced on BBC Breakfast on 3 July and since then, Nina has been keeping fans up to date on her pregnancy journey. Last week, she revealed that the delivery was "tougher" than her previous two births and that the recovery has felt "longer". 

SEE: BBC Breakfast's Nina Warhurst melts hearts with new photos of baby Nance

MORE: Inside BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty's home life away from the cameras

Sharing a series of snaps showing Nina with her newborn baby girl, who is named Nance, the 42-year-old wrote: "4 snaplets of me and my Nance from each of the 4 weeks we've watched her slowly waking up to this world."

© Instagram

She went on to say that her third pregnancy has been "hard". "A tougher delivery and a longer recovery… maybe it's being older… but also I'd somehow forgotten," she explained. 

Nina also shared some of the symptoms she's been experiencing, which include "swollen scars, bleeding breasts, mastitis fever, hormonal crashes, clots, constipation, codeine withdrawal and exhaustion". 

© BBC Breakfast

She ended the post by saying that she's hopefully well on her way to recovery. "We are on the right track - for now," she said. "And enjoying life in the slow lane… usually with Australian MAFs & Italian red drinks… what a combo."

She added a sweet note for her daughter, writing: "Women and their bodies (parents or not) are complex and resilient that it fills me with immense pride. I can't wait to tell you all about it my sweet girl."

Nina and Ted are also doting parents to two boys: Digby, who they welcomed in 2016, and Michael, who arrived two years later in 2018.