EXCLUSIVE: BBC Breakfast editor Richard Frediani has returned to work as a misconduct row continues to grip the UK’s most-watched morning show.
Frediani was on an extended period of annual leave amid front-page newspaper reports about tensions on BBC Breakfast following two Deadline exposés about the editor’s alleged management style. Sources said he has been back in the hot seat this week, editing Breakfast like it is business as usual.
In the background, the BBC’s HR team has seconded a lawyer from consultancy firm PwC to help review the culture on Breakfast. Insiders do not expect the review to drag on indefinitely.
Frediani’s conduct has been the subject of briefing and counter-briefing in recent days. Newspapers have characterized the issues as a clash of personalities between the editor and presenter Naga Munchetty, who has herself been accused of making colleagues uncomfortable.
Frediani’s style splits opinion. He has supporters at Breakfast, who have rallied to his side to champion his news judgment, high standards, and ability to deliver award-winning stories, not least a BAFTA prize for the show’s coverage of the Post Office scandal.
Equally, Deadline has spoken to more than 20 industry insiders about Frediani’s conduct, with many making allegations about him being aggressive, including shouting and swearing at colleagues, and leaving team members out in the cold.
We revealed that Munchetty was among those who had raised concerns, though The Sun later reported that the presenter had been “reprimanded” over her own conduct, including allegedly using a “crude slang term for a sex act” during an off-air discussion on Radio 5 Live.
In March, Deadline revealed an incident that was highlighted by multiple BBC insiders as an example of Frediani’s behavior crossing a professional boundary. He allegedly physically shook a lower-ranking female editor during a newsroom exchange in February 2024. The woman complained and her grievance was upheld. Weeks later, the BBC expanded Frediani’s empire to include News at One.
After Deadline’s report, three sources said senior figures on Breakfast attempted to downplay the seriousness of the incident. This shocked some internally, with one insider telling Deadline: “You don’t put your hands on someone. You just don’t.”
Frediani and Munchetty have not commented. A BBC spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values. We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.”
The Breakfast issues come weeks after the BBC published the findings of a workplace culture inquiry by Change Associates. The review found that some individuals are “seen as being untouchable” due to their perceived value to the BBC.
BBC chair Samir Shah said the Change Associates review was a “line in the sand.” He added that the corporation would support those who raise concerns and that he had no tolerance for people who “abuse power or punch down or behave badly.”
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