Naga Munchetty had an amusing on-air moment on BBC Breakfast when she was left stunned to learn that palm trees grow in the UK. During Friday’s show, Naga and co-host Charlie Stayt had just watched a report on extreme weather in Australia—dangerous winds, severe flooding, the lot. Looking for a weather update closer to home, she turned to meteorologist Sarah Keith-Lucas.
Trying to reassure viewers, Naga said: “Thankfully, nothing quite as traumatic here.” But then, she was completely thrown off by the backdrop behind Sarah—a bright, sunny scene complete with palm trees. Surprised, she blurted out: “Wow! What a contrast, Sarah”, reported Lancs Live.
Curious about whether the image was from the previous day, given the gloomy conditions outside the studio, she asked Sarah for clarification. The forecaster explained: “It’s not this morning in Salford, but it is this morning. It looks like this in some parts of the country.”
Still in disbelief, Naga responded, “Really?! We have palm trees here?!” Sarah confirmed that the image was taken that very morning—in Essex, of all places. As the weather segment wrapped up, Naga had to laugh at herself, quickly apologizing: “I apologize if you heard some sniggering during your forecast. Someone (Charlie) was laughing at me for not knowing that we have numerous, thousands, of palm trees here in the UK. I didn’t know!”
Sarah playfully suggested: “Yeah, there we go, you have to go and visit some palm tree places, I think.” Determined to redeem herself, Naga declared she would be taking trips around the UK to explore these exotic British palm trees. Charlie, of course, couldn’t resist winding her up further. Smirking at the camera, he encouraged viewers to send in their own palm tree pictures: “If you’ve seen a palm tree, send us a picture. Extraordinary, extraordinary thing.”
Realizing she was the butt of the joke, Naga played along—until she caught Charlie’s cheeky grin, at which point she shot him a pointed look. He quickly transitioned to the next segment, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face.
Viewers were all too happy to join in. One tweeted: “We have palm trees in the garden, Naga!” while another posted a photo with the caption: “Palm trees in the northwest Scotland village of Plockton, taken on 19 January in 9-degree sunshine.” Safe to say, Naga won’t be questioning the existence of UK palm trees again anytime soon!
