Naga Munchetty has taken a bit of a battering on social media for her interview techniques on BBC Breakfast. On today’s (November 20) edition of the programme, she and co-anchor Charlie Stayt welcomed the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, onto the sofa.
He was in the studio to discuss Greater Manchester’s billion-pound Good Growth Fund, which was made possible through “prudent borrowing” against future business rates.
Naga wasted no time at all in trying to get the answers to her questions, though.
Naga Munchetty was ‘unpleasant’ to BBC Breakfast guest Andy Burnham
Throughout Andy Burnham’s interview segment, Naga Munchetty has been accused of repeatedly interrupted him as he tried to explain himself.
“Let me answer your question,” he interjected at one point.
The interviewer’s demeanour did not sit well with fans writing on social media site X. As the show was airing, one user wrote: “Andy Burnham schooling @BBCBreakfast and they don’t like it. Interrupting, not letting him finish his sentence.”
“Ridiculous questioning from Naga creating something from nothing,” added another.
A third BBC Breakfast viewer found the interview “diabolical”, slating the “unprofessional” manner of Naga. “Stop with the interrogations,” read a fourth online reaction.
“I come down in the morning, grab a cuppa and pop #bbcbreakfast on to ease me into the day. NOT to listen to the tv equivalent of a snowball fight. Sort yourself out, Naga Munchetty, that verbal joust with Andy Burnham was a mess & not what I watch breakfast tv for,” tweeted yet another irritated viewer.
‘Part of the territory’
Guest Andy grew increasingly frustrated with Naga and Charlie’s line of questioning. They were desperate to know whether he planned to leave his mayoral post and challenge for the next Prime Ministerial election. Charlie said it was simply “part of the territory”.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Naga, though, as a couple of viewers were in her corner. They believed she was dealing with an awkward character.
“Give up asking Naga, he’s not going to answer your question, all he does is talk louder,” suggested one person. “You tell him Naga. Andy is an arrogant [bleep],” wrote another fan.
It’s not the first time Naga has dealt with difficult interviewees
Naga has previous experience when it comes to “dreadful” interviewee encounters. Take last autumn’s chat with comedian Bill Bailey for example.
Bill was promoting his book My Animals, and Other Animals: A Memoir of Sorts at the time. The BBC Breakfast host singled out a photo from it where Bill was posing with a husky in Iceland.
She asked: “Is that your tongue or the dog’s tongue?”
A rather baffled Bill replied: “That’s the dog’s tongue, what do you mean is that my tongue? It’s coming out sideways! That’s not the sort of thing I’d do! That’s the dog’s tongue!”
Instead of moving on, Naga came back with: “Look you can see if someone said that’s your tongue, it would be believable!”
“That’s not the question I thought I was going to get today: ‘Is that your tongue or the dog’s?'” Bill pointed out.
Read more: Inside Naga Munchetty’s most scandalous moments as BBC ‘forced to apologise for her behaviour’
BBC Breakfast airs every morning from 6am on BBC One.
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