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What did Naga Munchetty say about Donald Trump and did she breach BBC overturn its ruling?
NAGA Munchetty was inundated with support after the BBC ruled her comments about President Donald Trump breached guidelines.
Following a public outcry, the organisation's director-general Tony Hall intervened to reverse its decision - here's why he decided to step in.
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What did Naga Munchetty say about Donald Trump?
In September 2019, it was reported that Naga breached BBC guidelines by suggesting President Donald Trump was guilty of racism, the corporation’s complaints unit has decided.
She expressed concern on the show on July 19, 2019, after the US President said four congresswoman should “go back” to the “places from which they came.”
Seeming to go off script, she dwelled upon her own experiences of being told go home in the UK, saying the comments made her "furious".
Naga said: "Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism."
“Now I’m not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean.”
The four congresswomen, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, were told by the president that they should “go back and help fix the totally broken places from which they came”.
The four women are US citizens and three of them were born and raised in the US.
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Did Naga Munchetty breach BBC rules?
The BBC ruled that Naga did break the rules.
It said “her comments went beyond what the guidelines allow for,” despite saying she was entitled to “give a personal response.”
A BBC spokeswoman told the corporation’s Executive Complaints Unit: “A summary of the complaint and the decision to partially uphold it will be published on the complaints pages of , and as normal this will include a note of any action taken as a result of the finding.”
It is yet to be decided whether Naga, who has been on the show for the past decade, will be reprimanded.
Why did the BBC reverse its ruling against Naga Munchetty?
The decision from the corporation’s complaints unit has been reconsidered after Hall, 68, “personally” reviewed the evidence.
In a letter sent to BBC employees, he wrote: “Racism is racism and the BBC is not impartial on the topic. There was never a finding against Naga for what she said about the President’s tweet.
“I don’t think Naga’s words were sufficient to merit a partial uphold of the complaint around the comments she made.
“There was never any sanction against Naga and I hope this step makes that absolutely clear. She is an exceptional journalist and presenter and I am proud that she works for the BBC.
“I have asked the editorial and leadership teams to discuss how we manage live exchanges on air around these topics in the future.”
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Why was a Naga Munchetty petition launched?
A petition has been launched calling the Editorial Complaints Unit’s decision "wrong".
The online document reads: "Surprisingly I think the BBC could use the ECU’s decision as an opportunity to build trust as well as strengthen its diversity and inclusion.
"All – senior members of the BBC should make their position clear and come out internally in support of Naga."
The petition currently has just under 13,000 signatures.
Is Naga Munchetty married?
Naga is married to ITV broadcast consultant husband James Haggar.
They wed back in 2007.
Before James, Naga famously dated Norwegian footballer Jonny Hansen.
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When did Naga Munchetty take part in Strictly?
Naga took to the dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016.
She was partnered with Pasha Kovalev, who has since left the show.
The pair didn't do too well and were voted out in week four.
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What is Naga Munchetty's backstory?
Born in South London in 1975, 44-year-old Naga's drive toward a career in journalism began with an English degree at Leeds University.
Her break in TV came as a reporter for Reuters Financial Television, and she went on to have jobs on CNBC Europe, Channel 4 News, and Bloomberg Television.
Naga became a household name when she landed the job on BBC Breakfast in 2010.
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