BBC Breakfast has celebrated its 40th anniversary by uniting presenters past and present to reminiscence about how the show has evolved down the decades.
In a special episode on Tuesday, current hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were joined by original presenters including newsreader Debbie Rix, weatherman Francis Wilson and astrologer Russell Grant, who featured on the formerly named Breakfast Time, which launched on January 17 1983.
They also marked the occasion with the return of singer Leo Sayer, who was a guest on the first episode, and an aerobic workout in London's Waterloo station led by the show’s original health and fitness guru Diana Moran.
During the episode, Sayer praised the show’s day one presenters, Frank Bough and Selina Scott, as "such stars".
"To be interviewed by Selena Scott at that time, it was very special. She was the 'Princess Diana of TV’ so it was quite incredible to walk into the studio," he said.
Sayer said the show "started a tradition that went all around the world", with celebrities then needing to wake up earlier to promote their work.
The singer said he complimented the team on "coping" back in 1983 because many of the TV crew complained to him that morning about having to get up so early, to which Nugent joked: "It’s not new anymore but we still do that."
During her time on the breakfast programme, Moran, who was known as the "Green Goddess", led a popular exercise segment.
To celebrate her return, she was joined by BBC Breakfast presenter Jayne McCubbin at Waterloo station, where they recreated a moment from the first episode when they surprised commuters by getting them on their feet to do a few aerobics.
Moran said television exercise programmes made workouts more accessible for women, adding: "Beforehand, women in particular hadn’t gone into gyms. Gyms were for the chaps, the rugby and football players, smelly boxers and all that sort of thing.
"And suddenly we brought it up, we put some music to it, which appealed to the women."
The BBC was motivated to set up the morning show by UK rival ITV making its own plans – with a race launched to see who could be the first to set theirs up, Neil said.
When it first aired, Breakfast Time was revolutionary, mixing hard news with showbusiness, gossip, health and even a daily astrology segment.
The BBC style was more informal and so the presenters often wore jumpers and presented from a red leather sofa.
Current weatherwoman Carol Kirkwood, an original member of the show who joined in 1983 as a production secretary, had a special look back with original weatherman Francis Wilson – while donning the signature cosy jumpers – at how weather presenting and graphics have evolved.
As the show drew to a close, Nugent, Kay, Kirkwood and fellow current hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt welcomed original members Rix, Wilson and Grant to their new red sofa.
Source: Press Association
