
BBC Breakfast star bids farewell as she announces break and fans are fuming
BBC Breakfast star Samira Ahmed bid farewell as she announced a show break, and fans are fuming.
On Saturday's (July 19) edition of the popular morning programme, presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty brought viewers up to speed with the latest news from across the UK and globally.
Simon King was on hand to provide regular weather updates, while Mike Bushell took charge of the sports segment.
During the broadcast, Charlie and Naga passed over to Newswatch host Samira, who delved into viewers' thoughts on recent BBC News coverage.
BBC Newswatch is a weekly show offering viewers and listeners the opportunity to respond to BBC News, reports the Express.
The programme airs on the UK feed of the BBC News channel on Friday evenings at 11:30pm, and Saturday mornings at 7:45am on BBC One during BBC Breakfast, or can be watched online.
In today's segment, Samira engaged in conversation with former Head of BBC Television News, Roger Mosey, about the controversy surrounding a narrator of a BBC documentary on the Gaza conflict.
The 57-year-old presenter also touched upon recent BBC bulletins regarding MasterChef hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode being sacked from the show.
At the end of the segment, Samira informed viewers that Newswatch would be taking a break for a few weeks, but reassured them that it would return to screens in September.
"We are off the air for a few weeks now, but please do continue to get in touch with us over the summer and we'll be back with more of your thoughts about how the BBC covers news in the first week of September," she said.
Viewers of the show didn't hesitate to voice their opinions on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the hiatus, with some expressing dissatisfaction with the content of today's programme.
One viewer commented: "Well, that was a waste of 10 minutes," while another said: "Disappointing....and last one too."
A third remarked: "Not this again," and yet another echoed the sentiment, stating: "Newswatch spending way too long on one little whinge."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
MasterChef begins casting for next series as BBC ploughs on after sacking of Gregg Wallace and John Torode
MasterChef has begun casting for its next series as the BBC ploughed on after the sacking of Gregg Wallace and John Torode. The cooking show has been at the centre of scandal after Gregg was dismissed as a presenter after more than 40 complaints against him were upheld following a BBC investigation. Australian-born chef John, 59, also lost his job after two decades over allegations that he used the N-word, which he claims to have 'absolutely no recollection' of. But despite the chaos surrounding the show, MasterChef is forging ahead with a new series. Asking cooking hopefuls to apply, production company Banjay wrote: 'For over 20 years we have been putting Britain's best food talents through their paces. 'Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.' The website added: 'Whether you're an amateur cook looking to showcase your home-taught skills or a professional chef wanting to take your career to the next level you can apply for a UK MasterChef series below.' According to The Sun, Banjay said the decision to cast for a new series came 'after consultation with the contestants'. It comes after Gregg Wallace insisted that he is done with TV and the BBC before making a sensational claim that he was 'groped' during his time on MasterChef as he speaks out following his sacking from the show. The TV personality, 60, said in an interview, how he himself faced sexual harassment from a host of women 'on a regular basis' as he hit out at the broadcaster over their 'complaints procedure'. Speaking to The Sun, Gregg said: 'The whole complaints procedure needs to be readdressed - there are huge problems with it as things stand. Being on MasterChef was brilliant but I had so many bad experiences on that show too. 'Had I wanted to raise any complaints, I'd have had the decency to speak to that person directly. Privately, not publicly. My God, can you imagine the complaints I could have made? Have you got any idea of the sexual references made to me on a daily basis? 'How many times I've been touched by women wanting a selfie? How many times I've been groped? How many times suggestive comments have been made to me? How many female contestants have said inappropriate things on MasterChef?' Gregg added that the thought of complaining wouldn't even 'cross my mind', noting that he wasn't suggesting that groping was 'right', but it was 'happening to me on a regular basis.' The disgraced TV star went on to that he was often 'shouted at and bullied', claiming contestants had a perceived notion that presenters were 'god-like' and adding that he doesn't wish for anyone to be 'dragged through' what he has. MailOnline have contacted BBC representatives for comment. Meanwhile, Gregg, who has been reported to have been banned from working at the BBC, told how he washed his hands of both the TV industry and the BBC having been 'hurt' by recent events. He noted he didn't want 'anything to do with' telly or the broadcaster, before acknowledging that his TV career is now over. When asked if he will watch the upcoming series of MasterChef, he replied with a defiant 'No, no, no, no', stating that he's 'pleased' for the contestants on the show as it was never really about former co-star John Torode and himself. He added that he 'didn't care' who hosted the show next, insisting that MasterChef would be 'absolutely fine' without himself and John at the helm. Gregg's comments come after it was revealed that the BBC would air its amateur 2025 series of MasterChef. In the nine months since the hit BBC programme finished filming last Autumn there have been questions over whether it would ever be broadcast following allegations of inappropriate behaviour against presenters Gregg and John. Meanwhile, Gregg, who has been reported to have been banned from working at the BBC , told how he washed his hands of both the TV industry and the BBC having been 'hurt' by recent events Now the corporation has revealed that the amateur series of MasterChef filmed last year, before allegations against Gregg and John were upheld, will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from August 6. The MailOnline understand that the BBC have told the MasterChef production company Banijay that the show should reduce Gregg and John's screen time to a minimum in light of the report's findings. A source said: 'The BBC have made it clear that it should limit the amount of airtime the presenters have in the editing of the new series, with a bigger focus on the contestants who are at the heart of the competition.' 'Neither Gregg nor John will appear in BBC iPlayer thumbnails and they will not be doing any promotional activity around the latest series.' 'All of the brilliant new contestants were consulted on whether the series should be broadcast, and no one objected.' 'Everyone involved is very keen to promote the hard work of the contestants and that will be our priority.'


Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Major update in MasterChef saga as embattled BBC forge ahead with new series
Scroll down to read who is expected to be the new host BACK IN THE KITCHEN Major update in MasterChef saga as embattled BBC forge ahead with new series SCANDAL-hit MasterChef is casting for contestants for a new series. The BBC show put out an internet plea days after confirming it would air episodes already filmed with Gregg Wallace and John Torode, despite both being axed. Bosses said the decision came 'after consultation with the contestants'. Earlier this month, a report revealed more than 40 historic complaints against Wallace had been upheld, along with a claim that Torode once used a racist term. The BBC said it had taken the decision 'after consultation with the contestants' but some of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have slammed the move. Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt is expected to be the new host, with Great British Menu star Andi Oliver also in the frame. Production firm Banijay posted: 'For over 20 years we have been putting Britain's best food talents through their paces. 'Cooking doesn't get tougher than this. 'Whether you're an amateur cook looking to showcase your home-taught skills or a professional chef wanting to take your career to the next level you can apply for a UK MasterChef series below.' Hopefuls can apply online at Shamed Gregg Wallace says 'I'm no groper, sex pest or flasher,' as tearful star refuses to accept blame for BBC sacking 1 MasterChef is casting for contestants for a new series after axing John Torode and Gregg Wallace Credit: BBC Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.


Times
9 hours ago
- Times
Cooking shows get the chop as controversies leave a bitter taste
For years they have been the toast of television: mouth-wateringly wholesome fun, cheap to make and often a sure-fire ratings hit. But new data, coupled with a string of high-profile controversies, suggest cookery shows are starting to leave a bitter taste with producers as the number of food and drink programmes commissioned by major broadcasters begins to plummet. In February, allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving the celebrity TV chef Gino D'Acampo and spanning more than 12 years became public, forcing ITV to drop all forthcoming shows featuring the star. In recent weeks, MasterChef became mired in controversy and, while the future of the show is secure, BBC bosses are hunting for two new presenters after they opted against renewing the contracts of Gregg Wallace and John Torode amid allegations of misconduct. Separately, Nadiya Husain, a BBC cooking stalwart, has criticised the broadcaster after it terminated its long run of 14 shows with her since she won The Great British Bake Off in 2015. 'The BBC has decided that it didn't want to commission the show, and I suppose for me that was a huge turning point because it's something I have done for past ten years,' she said. Now, an analysis of the sector by Broadcast Intelligence, a service offered by the TV industry magazine, has revealed that only 12 shows have been ordered over the first seven months of the year, down from 42 last year and a high of 100 in 2019. Though forthcoming shows being made include Jamie Oliver's Eat Yourself Healthy for Channel 4 and a second serving of Tom Kerridge's Secrets of the Pub Kitchen for Food Network, producers say that the well worn 'chop and chat' format is coming to an end. 'Traditional recipe shows have been 'eaten' by TikTok,' said one producer. Others noted that the number of shows being commissioned by broadcasters is down across the board, with cookery shows a casualty of wider declines, despite the ongoing draw of food programming. 'People are lazy and don't know how to cook but continue to watch them as a form of escapism,' said Steven D Wright, a veteran producer. He said there was a desire among commissioners to 'reinvent' cookery show beyond traditional competitions, how-to shows and food-based travelogues. 'There's a bit of navel-gazing going on at the moment. These shows are bankers for a reason — because audiences like people making delicious food in a lovely setting — but they have changed shape,' he said. 'Do we need any more Mary Berrys or Nigellas doing pieces to camera?' Plans to reinvigorate food programming are, however, under way with ambitious forthcoming food formats include a Michelin-star themed documentary for Apple TV+ and a Harry Potter-inspired format for Warner Bros Discovery. Apple TV's Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars is executive produced by Gordon Ramsay and will follow Jesse Burgess, the co-founder and presenter of social media brand Topjaw. In the eight-part series Burgess will follow the fates of elite chefs at some of the world's most celebrated restaurants to determine if they will win, maintain or lose their precious Michelin star. Warner Bros Discovery's cookery competition Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking has been given a second series, following a debut run that reached more than 16 million viewers globally following its launch in November. The show aired on Amazon Prime in the UK and featured James and Oliver Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley in the films, as they tasked nine teams of pastry chefs and cake artists with crafting edible showpieces inspired by moments and themes from the Potter universe.