Naga Munchetty has revealed how her decision not to have children with her husband James Hagger initially caused a rift with her mother.
The presenter, 50, underwent keyhole surgery to block her fallopian tubes in 2019 when she was in her mid-forties, having decided years prior with James that she didn’t want children.
And during an appearance on HELLO! Magazine’s Second Act podcast, Naga admitted the decision, which meant her parents wouldn’t have grandchildren, caused problems between them.
She told host Ateh Jewel: ‘My mum was devastated; she was from a different generation. (But she) gets it now.
‘She is so proud of me and so happy to see me happy and thriving.
‘It was a conscious (decision) and I am doing lots of other things and living a very fulfilling life. She doesn’t think I’ve wasted a opportunity. My mum has evolved in that sense.’
Naga Munchetty has revealed how her decision not to have children with her husband James Hagger initially caused a rift with her mother
The presenter, 50, underwent keyhole surgery to block her fallopian tubes in 2019 when she was in her mid-forties, having decided years prior with James that she didn’t want children
While she had initially tried the contraceptive coil, the procedure left her in agony and she was forced to remove it a year later.
With the coil no longer an option and having decided she didn’t want to be ‘reliant on hormones or the regimen of the pill’, she underwent surgery – a permanent form of contraception.
Naga, who recently released her book It’s Probably Nothing, also discusses the crippling pain she suffered from adenomyosis, a gynaecological condition where the lining of the womb grows into the muscular wall of the womb.
She was diagnosed in November 2022, but had been suffering with symptoms since the age of 15, taking 32 years for her to get a diagnosis.
‘I was just exhausted. I thought it was normal, but there is a real distinction. If something is common, it doesn’t mean it’s normal.
‘I thought all the other women in the world are coping and thriving. If I’ve dared to bring it up I am (perceived as) weak, so you push yourself even harder.’
Elsewhere during the podcast, Naga revealed that she’s come to terms with being criticised by ‘fools’ amid reports BBC has launched a bullying probe into its flagship Breakfast show.
In April, MailOnline exclusively revealed some staff had expressed unhappiness with the show’s bullish editor Richard Frediani, accusing him of being on occasion ‘aggressive’ and ‘belittling’ towards his underlings.
During an appearance on HELLO! Magazine’s Second Act podcast, Naga admitted the decision, which meant her parents wouldn’t have grandchildren, caused problems between them
Now, tensions are said to be ‘rife’ between hosts Naga and Charlie Stayt, 62, with her having already expressed her uneasiness about Frediani’s behaviour.
‘I came to terms with being a bit kinder to myself. It’s ok, you are doing your best and you are doing ok. Some people bash you just because they want to. And I realised they were fools’.
‘I’m still that person where there are things I want [to do] but I don’t go for it because I don’t know if I am deserving of it. Both of my parents were immigrants and believed in ‘work hard and be good’. So you work hard to create your own opportunities’.
On advice to her younger self she said: ‘Stop caring about what everyone thinks. Stop modifying yourself, stop making yourself small to please people. I did too much of that’.
Amid claims the probe has left the newsroom divided, a source told The Sun : ‘To the viewer BBC Breakfast is a warm, gentle programme, one that is flourishing in the ratings. But beyond the cosy red sofa it is a very different picture. Several people — crew, production and even presenters — have been very unhappy’.
‘Tension between Charlie and Naga is rife. Fredi is very old-school and has some slightly tyrannical tendencies. He is very cerebral but also quite aggressive in his methods. Some people think a recent promotion has gone to his head’.
‘Meanwhile, Naga, who is passionate about speaking up if she believes something is wrong, has spoken to people who are unhappy. Formal complaints have been lodged, so the BBC has to be seen to act . The probe has really divided the newsroom’.
They went on to claim that some believe Frediani, known as Fredi, is simply doing his job others think his methods are ‘too tough’ for 2025.
Elsewhere during the podcast, Naga revealed that she’s come to terms with being criticised by ‘fools’ amid reports BBC has launched a bullying probe into its flagship Breakfast show
In April, MailOnline exclusively revealed some staff had expressed unhappiness with the show’s bullish editor Richard Frediani (Naga pictured with co-host Charlie Stayt)
Now, tensions are said to be ‘rife’ between hosts Naga and Charlie Stayt with her having already expressed her uneasiness about Frediani’s behaviour (Richard Frediani pictured)
MailOnline have contacted BBC, Naga and Charlie’s reps for comment.
It comes following a difficult few years for the BBC, with Huw Edwards pleading guilty to having indecent images of children, Jermaine Jenas axed after a sexting scandal and Gary Linekar axed over Anti Semitism claims.
An insider told MailOnline in April that Naga is ‘quite open’ about her ill-feeling towards Frediani. Another said that she has an ‘uneasy relationship’ with him.
The Mail revealed that displeasure was intensifying at the BBC’s northern base in Salford, where staff have watched Frediani’s rise – from Breakfast boss to arguably the most powerful BBC editor outside London – with growing disbelief.
One said: ‘You have to wonder what on earth is going on. The BBC claims to be this no-nonsense, woke, kind place – yet Fredi has been able to keep climbing the ladder. HR and his bosses are aware of [past] bullying claims against him.
‘He’s still allowed to hire, as we saw with Nina [Warhurst, who has just been appointed a regular presenter] this week, and presumably fire. He has so much power, it doesn’t feel right at all.’
The ordeal began, when media and entertainment industry news site Deadline alleged that Frediani was the subject of at least two misconduct complaints, including one from a woman who had her grievance upheld after claiming that the Breakfast editor physically shook her during a heated newsroom exchange last year.
Others also came forward with their experiences. One person claimed to have witnessed an incident in 2019, during which a ‘clearly angry’ Richard backed a Breakfast colleague up against a wall and was ‘jabbing his finger’ as he voiced displeasure about that morning’s show.
The website reports that two sources alleged that Frediani is also known for ‘screaming’ down the phone at other BBC News desks and complaining about the quality of content they hand over to the Breakfast show.
Whether these allegations were upheld or dismissed is not known.
Naga opened up about beginning to finding more confidence after turning 50 earlier this year
She said: It’s ok, you are doing your best and you are doing ok. Some people bash you just because they want to. And I realised they were fools’
There was widespread internal dissatisfaction with Frediani in 2020, less than a year into his reign as editor of BBC Breakfast, after he was poached from ITV News.
During the pandemic, MailOnline’s Katie Hind was inundated with anonymous emails from staff at BBC Breakfast which said a series of complaints have been made to the corporation’s management and its HR department about an ‘intimidating and bullying’ culture, which had led to long-term members of staff leaving their jobs.
One employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said ‘the whole atmosphere has become poisonous’ and like a ‘boys’ club’. Again, it is unclear whether these allegations were upheld or dismissed.
After the story was published in The Mail on Sunday, a number of people who had worked with Frediani got in. They said he was unpleasant to them during his tenure at ITV where he served as head of news. They were devastated – but not surprised – to hear that there were allegations that he had gone on to behave ‘aggressively’ in his new role.
One wrote: ‘I read your piece about Richard Frediani, recognising a lot of his character. I and others who suffered under him at ITV expected this would happen.’
Second Act with Ateh Jewel is available on all podcast providers.
