BBC Breakfast

BBC Breakfast is a British morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from MediaCityUK and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items. The programme is broadcast seven days a week, every week of the year, including weekends and public holidays.

Alison Ford, previously the UK Editor for BBC Newsgathering, is the current Editor of the programme, following the departure of David Kermode to 5 News.

Breakfast Time
The BBC's first breakfast programme was originally called Breakfast Time and was conceived as the BBC's answer to TV-am's plans for breakfast television. Breakfast Time was first broadcast on 17 January 1983, with Frank Bough, Selina Scott, Nick Ross and Russell Grant. The relaxed feel to the programme included a set designed to mimic a living-room with red leather sofas, and Bough and Ross wore jumpers and open-necked shirts which added to the air of informality. The first producer, Ron Neil, created a mix of authoritative news and accessible features, and the BBC show was a huge hit, trouncing the star-name commercial TV rival which had been widely expected to dominate the new genre. The deliberately unstuffy approach allowed for a surprising mix of highbrow news, informative features and entertainment, so that typically a senior government minister might be grilled on the red sofa before helping to grill some food in a cooking demonstration. On 12 October 1984 Nick Ross presented the show on his own as live coverage came in from the assassination attempt on Mrs Thatcher at the Brighton bombing. Breakfast Time lasted 2 and a half hours, initially being transmitted between 6.30am and 9am, moving to a 6.50am to 9.20am slot on 18 February 1985.

After Ron Neil's departure the programme reverted to a more traditional and formal approach with a new set featuring a news desk replacing the more informal living-room set, open-necked shirts replaced with formal wear, and the programme's agenda much more focused on news. These changes were introduced on 10 November 1986. Presenters included Kirsty Wark, John Stapleton, Jeremy Paxman and Sally Magnusson. The programme was shorter in length, beginning at 7am and the end time varied from 8.30am to 8.55am.

Breakfast News
On 2 October 1989 the programme was renamed Breakfast News and followed a more authoritative tone with a desk modelled on the style used on main news bulletins. The programme began at the earlier time of 6.30am although much of the first half hour was devoted to business news. At the start of 1993, the business news became an hour-long programme in its own right, beginning at the earlier time of 6am. Breakfast News started at the later time of 7am.

BBC Breakfast (London)
A further relaunch came on 2 October 2000 with the establishment of Breakfast, merging the operations of the separate BBC One and BBC News 24 (now the BBC News Channel) programmes for one single simulcast. Since April 2006 the BBC News Channel has begun rolling news coverage at 08:30 while the programme continues on BBC One until 09:15.

The current presentation of the programme was introduced with a wider relaunch of BBC One news bulletins on 2 May 2006. Breakfast moved into studio N6 at Television Centre with the other BBC One bulletins requiring a new, larger set design. The new set walls are made up of Barco video screens allowing for different backgrounds, graphics and still photographs. Initially the background used were of cirrus clouds on a blue sky but following comments from viewers that this was too cold, the background was replaced by orange squares from the new titles. This was also designed to hide any joins or faults between the screens which had been made obvious beforehand. The set has a generic format which can be used for other programmes like the national news bulletins with very little set movement.

The programme celebrated its 25th anniversary on 17 January 2008.

On 28 January 2008, Breakfast returned to the TC7 studios, where Breakfast Time had been based after its move from the BBC Lime Grove Studios. On 2 March 2009, Breakfast relaunched with a new set and new background to the studio. The backdrop resembles the BBC News channel backdrop as do the new Breakfast titles.

BBC Breakfast (Salford)
In July 2010 the BBC announced that Breakfast was moving to their new studios in Salford Quays. In March 2011, the BBC announced co-presenter Sian Williams and sports presenter Chris Hollins would not be moving to Salford with Breakfast in April 2012. Williams left Breakfast on 15 March 2012 but remains with the BBC in various assignments.

On 12 December 2011 the press announced that Louise Minchin would become a main presenter of BBC Breakfast when the programme moves to Salford, along with current main presenters Bill Turnbull, Susanna Reid and Charlie Stayt. On 26 March 2012 the BBC confirmed the new presenting team, adding that Carol Kirkwood would remain presenting weather from London. Mike Bushell and Sally Nugent on sport, and Steph McGovern on business will also relocate to Salford. The first edition of Breakfast from Salford was presented on Tuesday 10 April 2012. Despite some criticism of the move from London, this has not translated into viewing figures - retaining an approximate average of 1.5m.

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, Breakfast temporarily returned to London, broadcasting from an interim studio near the Olympic Park in Stratford, under the provisional branding Olympic Breakfast, beginning on the morning of the opening ceremony, on Friday 27 July. During the games, former presenters Sian Williams and Chris Hollins also returned to lead the morning programme, in addition to usual presenter Bill Turnbull and BBC Sport presenter Hazel Irvine. The show used the BBC News Channel's studio on the morning after the closing ceremonies before returning to Salford the following day.

Format
Between 6-8.30 the programme is simulcast on the BBC News Channel. Sports updates are presented from the studio at 06:10, 06:35, 07:35 and 08:35. On occasions live sports updates are broadcast from sporting locations, such as Royal Ascot and Wimbledon, with the presenter interviewing key sporting figures. From 26 May 2009, Business updates are presented from the BBC Breakfast Studio at 06:10, when the main business stories from the newspapers are discussed, and at 06:50, 07:20 and 07:50 - with the latest business stories and FTSE figures. The national weather is broadcast at --:15 and --:45 minutes throughout the programme. From March 2010, the weather has been presented from the Breakfast studio, at TC7 in Television Centre having previously come from the Blue Peter Garden. Weather forecasts are also broadcast live from certain events such as the Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, and Wimbledon. Regional news headlines are added just before the hour and the half hour as well throughout the programme.

From 08:30 the tone of the programme becomes lighter. There is the final sports bulletin followed by items that are mainly arts, entertainment or cultural in nature and in 2006, included interviews with Halle Berry, Sir Michael Caine and Reese Witherspoon. This provides a link to the daytime schedule, via the daytime controller and also the BBC One Controller.

Interactive
Breakfast is a highly interactive programme and viewers are encouraged to send in their views by telephone, text, e-mail, or via Facebook and Twitter. Video reports and interviews from the programme are made available on the Breakfast Facebook page after transmission.

Weather

 * A Bill Turnbull presented Friday to Sunday on his addition to the programme in 2001 until 2007. Turnbull then presented Monday to Thursday alongside Sian Williams from 2007 to 2012. During The olympics 2012 she returned alongside Bill Turnbull.
 * B Susanna Reid presented Friday to Sunday from 2004 to 2012 prior to joining Bill Turnbull on Monday to Wednesday in 2012.
 * C Charlie Stayt was initially a relief presenter when he joined Breakfast. Stayt then presented Friday to Sunday alongside Susanna Reid from 2007 to 2012.
 * D Louise Minchin was initially a relief presenter when she joined Breakfast in 2006, she replaced Sian Williams to become a main presenter in 2012.

Main

 * Jeremy Bowen - Monday-Thursday presenter, 2000–2002
 * Sonia Deol - Relief weekend presenter, 2008-2009
 * Robert Hall - Relief presenter, 2009
 * Mishal Husain - Friday-Sunday presenter, 2002–2004
 * Darren Jordon - Friday-Sunday presenter, 2000–2001
 * Natasha Kaplinsky - Monday-Thursday presenter, 2002–2005
 * Sarah Montague - Friday-Sunday presenter, 2000–2002
 * Dermot Murnaghan - Monday-Thursday presenter, 2002–2007
 * Sophie Raworth - Monday-Thursday presenter, 2000–2002
 * Noel Thompson - Relief presenter, 2000-2009
 * Kate Silverton - Relief presenter, 2005-2011
 * Sian Williams - Friday-Sunday/Monday-Thursday presenter, 2001-2012
 * Nicholas Owen - Relief presenter, 2009-2012
 * Simon McCoy - Relief presenter, 2004-2012

Sport

 * Rob Bonnet - Monday-Thursday sports presenter, 2000–2005
 * Chris Hollins - Monday-Thursday sports presenter, 2005-2012, Occasional relief as main presenter

Business

 * Declan Curry - Monday-Thursday business presenter, 2000–2008
 * Max Foster - Business presenter and newsreader, 2001–2005
 * Aaron Heslehurst - Business presenter, 2008–2010
 * Simon Jack - Monday-Thursday Business presenter, 2008–2011
 * Maryam Moshiri - Business relief presenter, 2008–2010
 * Samantha Washington - Friday business presenter, 2011
 * Tanya Beckett - Business presenter

Weather

 * Liam Dutton - Saturday-Sunday weather presenter, 2009–2011
 * Isobel Lang - Monday-Friday weather presenter, Oct 2000–2006
 * Louise Lear - Monday-Friday weather presenter, 1998–2007
 * Helen Willetts - Monday-Friday weather presenter, Oct 2000–2008

Newsreader

 * Moira Stuart - Regular newsreader, 2000–2006
 * Suzanne Virdee - Relief newsreader, 2004–2006

Out of studio
As well as presenting from the studio, the main presenters are called upon to present on location when major stories break. For example, Bill Turnbull presented live from King's Cross in the aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, while Sian Williams reported live from the scene of the Indian earthquake in 2005. In 2008 Bill Turnbull reported live from Washington DC for the US Presidential Elections. On 3 June 2010, Turnbull presented live from the town of Whitehaven, following the Cumbria shootings the previous day.

During September 2009, Kate Silverton presented from Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. Silverton and Susanna Reid have presented from the Academy Awards Ceremony.

During the party conference season, one of the main presenters will host the programme from the conference site. In September 2009, Bill Turnbull presented live from Brighton for the Liberal Democrats Conference, while a year later he presented from their party conference in Liverpool and the Labour Conference in Manchester. Sian Williams presented from the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences in September 2009, while in October 2010 she presented from the Tory Conference in Birmingham.

When a major political story breaks, Breakfast has a presenter bringing the morning news on location. Dermot Murnaghan has presented from the election campaign from Bristol, while on 6 April 2010, Sian Williams presented from Westminster in the run up to the announcement of the 2010 General Election. In April and May 2010 Bill Turnbull presented and reported from up and down the country following the parties on the campaign trail. On 30 April 2010, Charlie Stayt presented the programme from the University of Birmingham following the final leaders debate of the election campaign. On 12 May 2010, the day after David Cameron became Prime Minister, Williams presented the programme from College Green, Westminster, while Turnbull presented from outside 10 Downing Street. On the day Chancellor George Osborne unveiled his spending review, in October 2010, Williams was back at Westminster, presenting from College Green.

On 27 July 2010, Turnbull presented from the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London to mark two years until the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Chris Hollins presented the sports news from the same location.

Video podcast
In September 2006, Breakfast launched its own video podcast called the Breakfast Takeaway. BBC News had already launched three other services: Newsnight, the Ten O'Clock News and STORYFix (also previously shown on television at weekends on News 24). The Breakfast Takeaway was available Monday to Friday in MP4 format where it could be downloaded to and viewed from a home or office computer.

The video podcasts were a one-year trial, and from July 2007 they were discontinued. The BBC then reviewed the trial but the podcast has not been continued.

Specials
In 2003, the Breakfast production team was commissioned by BBC One to make a week long series called The Day Team From Chatsworth presented by Nicki Chapman, and presenter of the BBC's Countryfile programme, John Craven. It took a behind the scenes look at the stately home Chatsworth House and was broadcast separately on BBC One at 1030 in the morning.

A number of other guests, or celebrity presenters have been used on Breakfast to present themed days or weeks, even though some have never been mainstream news reporters or presenters. Many of these have seen the programme extended to 0930:


 * Alistair Appleton - Tate Modern 2004, Bath, Somerset 2003
 * Chris Beardshaw - Chelsea Flower Show 2006
 * Jennie Bond - Buckingham Palace 2004
 * Nicki Chapman - Children in Need November 2005, London Fashion Week 2004, Chelsea Flower Show 2006
 * Philippa Forrester - Alder Hey Children's Hospital 2002
 * Andi Peters - Neighbours set 2005, EastEnders/Albert Square outside broadcast 2006
 * Gaby Roslin - Wimbledon Tennis Championships outside broadcast 2002
 * Tim Wonnacott - Christie's Auction Room 2004

Awards

 * In March 2006, Breakfast won the TRIC award for best daytime television programme for the third year in a row
 * The show was nominated for a National Television Award award in the Topical Magazine Programme category in 2011 but lost out to ITV's This Morning