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Dan Walker on suffering ‘sleep deprivation’ during BBC Breakfast job

Dan had to set his alarm clock to 3am

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Television presenter Dan Walker left his job at BBC Breakfast after admitting the early mornings took a massive toll on him.

The former Strictly star left BBC Breakfast in 2022 after six years on the show. He moved to Channel 5 to present the evening news instead.

However, his days of presenting breakfast shows are far from over as Dan now presents Classic FM’s breakfast show first thing in the morning.

Dan Walker smiling on This Morning
Dan chose to leave BBC Breakfast in 2022 (Credit: ITV)

Dan admitted to ‘crying’ in the toilets during BBC Breakfast role

During an appearance on This Morning on Wednesday (February 21), Dan told hosts Josie Gibson and Dermot O’Leary that he used to set his alarm for 3am for BBC Breakfast.

“By Wednesday I was, like, full zombie mode. And also you get really emotional. By Wednesday I was like, end of the show, you are like, in the toilets just crying,” Dan explained.

“Anything sets you off. Someone says something nice about your trousers and you are like, [fake cries].”

Josie asked Dan if he would cry in the toilets on a daily basis, to which Dan stated: “Well, not every day.”

Dan admitted that when you get “sleep deprived,” you get a “little bit emotional”.

Dan Walker talking to Dermot O'Leary and Josie Gibson on This Morning
Dan admitted to crying in the toilets at work (Credit: ITV)

‘It was too big of an opportunity to say no’

Things have got better for Dan, however, as his new job at Classic FM requires him to get up at 5:30am.

Enjoying the job, Dan said he feels “great” and “refreshed”. He added: “If you enjoy the job you do, we are all privileged to do something that we love doing.”

A lover of radio, Dan said he loves talking to people and “getting those messages back” from listeners.

Admitting he’s not short of offers, Dan returned to working early mornings again as he felt it was “too big an opportunity to say no”.

The 46-year-old said he would “hate to be in a situation a few years down the line when I am listening to someone else doing it, thinking, ‘That would have been amazing to do.'”

Read more: Dan Walker divides Twitter followers as he asks if ‘it is okay to taser’ an 11-year-old child

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Fabio Magnocavallo
Freelance Writer