Sally Nugent, Jon Kay, Nina Warhurst© BBC

BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent absent from show days after returning from break

Nina Warhurst stepped in alongside Jon Kay

TV and film writer
August 14, 2024

Sally Nugent was missing from her usual spot on the BBC Breakfast sofa on Wednesday morning.

The journalist usually hosts the programme from Monday to Wednesday alongside Jon Kay but was replaced by business presenter Nina Warhurst, who regularly steps in for the main presenters.

© BBC

Nina Warhurst stepped in for Sally Nugent on Wednesday's BBC Breakfast

Sally's absence comes just days after she and Jon returned to the show, having taken some time off last week. 

Sally marked her and Jon's first show back with a post on Instagram on Monday. Sharing a snap of the duo on the red sofa, the 53-year-old penned in the caption: "Back to work! @bbcbreakfast."

It's safe to say viewers were pleased to see the pair back on their screens, with one person hailing them as the "dream team". "Good morning, it's lovely to see the Monday to Wednesday dream team back," wrote one person, while another added: "Great to see the A-Team back together."

While the reason for Sally and Jon's absence hasn't been explained, it's possible that the pair were simply enjoying some well-deserved annual leave.

It's been a busy period for both presenters in recent months. 

Back in July, Sally jetted off to Berlin to cover the 2024 Euros final, with Jon holding down the fort in the Salford studio. Sally joined BBC sports presenter John Watson in Germany ahead of the game, which saw Spain take victory over England with a 2-1 win. 

© BBC

Sally reported on the Euros final from Berlin

Meanwhile, Jon took on hosting duties for the BBC's coverage of the general election results in July. The 54-year-old teamed up with Sophie Raworth to front a special programme, which was broadcast live outside Westminster for nine hours. 

Taking to Instagram after the show, Jon praised his co-star and the behind-the-scenes team. "Well, that was a mammoth shift! Nine hours on air - and it went in a flash. An absolute honour to co-present Friday's rolling election coverage live from Westminster on BBC One," penned Jon. 

"Massive thanks to the brilliant Sophie Raworth and to the whole team who worked so hard over the last few weeks to make sure everything was ready. And huge thanks to all our guests and the millions of viewers who chose to spend Friday with us."

© @jonkay01/Instagram

Sophie Raworth and Jon Kay hosted the BBC's coverage of the general election in July

Viewers have been seeing more of Jon and Sally on their screens in recent months amid the relocation of the BBC One O'clock News from London to Salford.

Since June, both presenters, plus their co-star Nina, have become the new faces of the afternoon news programme, alongside Ben Brown, Anna Foster, and Tina Daheley. 

© BBC

Ben Brown, Anna Foster, Tina Daheley, Jon Kay, Nina Warhurst and Sally Nugent are the faces of the BBC News at One

The landmark move makes the News at One the first daily network TV news bulletin to be produced and broadcast from outside of the capital. The BBC said the change forms part of its Across the UK (ATUK) plan, which aims to "move power and decision-making across the country to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the UK".

The line-up of BBC Breakfast presenters

© BBC
  1. Charlie Stayt

    The journalist joined BBC Breakfast back in 2006 and now hosts the show alongside Naga Munchetty from Thursday to Saturday. Prior to joining the BBC, Charlie was the principal anchor of Five News, fronting the programme's 9/11 coverage and Millennium celebrations.
  2. Naga Munchetty

    The presenter joined the line-up of main presenters in 2014. Before landing a role on BBC Breakfast, she appeared on BBC World News, as well as BBC Two's weekday financial affairs programme, Working Lunch.
  3. Sally Nugent

    Sally has been a main presenter on the show since 2021, replacing Louise Minchin following her departure after 20 years. Sally previously worked as a sports presenter on the show and covered various major sporting events for the BBC, including Emma Raducanu's historic victory in the US Open tennis championship in 2021.
  4. Jon Kay

    The newsreader and journalist took over from Dan Walker following his exit in 2022. He previously worked as a news correspondent for BBC News at Six and covered major events such as the 2012 London Olympics and the 2015 general election campaign.
  5. Carol Kirkwood

    Carol is the show's main weather presenter and has been waking up the nation with the weather forecast on the BBC for 30 years.
  6. Nina Warhurst

    Nina is the show's main business presenter, having taken over from Steph McGovern in 2020. She often fills in as an anchor on the red sofa when the main hosts are absent.
  7.  Ben Thompson

    Ben is a relief presenter and regularly stands in for the main hosts when they are away from the red sofa. He can also be seen on BBC News.
  8. John Watson

    John is a sports presenter and has been working for the BBC since 2012, providing viewers will all the latest sports news and stories.

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