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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Sean Morrison

Naga Munchetty stays tight-lipped on racism row as she returns to screens on BBC Breakfast

Naga Munchetty remained tight-lipped over the row surrounding her Donald Trump comments as she returned to TV screens.

The presenter appeared on BBC Breakfast alongside her co-host Charlie Stayt live from the broadcaster's studios this morning for the first time after a decision to sanction her was overturned.

In her first on-screen appearance on the sofa since the original ruling was made, Ms Munchetty opened Thursday's breakfast show without acknowledging the row.

BBC's Executive Complaints Unit’s move to censure Ms Munchetty was overturned by the corporation's Director-General Tony Hall following a staff uprising against the ruling.

Its initial decision followed a July broadcast during which she condemned comments made by the US leader about his political rivals, after he told female Democrats to "go back" to their own countries.

The ECU had ruled her assertion that Mr Trump's comments were embedded in racism went beyond what the BBC allows, and a complaint made about the presenter's comments was partially upheld.

BBC's Director General reversed a ruling on a complaint over comments made by Breakfast host Naga Munchetty, pictured (PA)

This sparked a backlash and several prominent black and Asian journalists and broadcasters, including Sir Lenny Henry and Krishnan Guru-Murthy, called for the decision to be reversed.

Lord Hall overturned the decision on Monday, saying in an email to staff: "I don't think Naga's words were sufficient to merit a partial uphold of the complaint around the comments she made."

Former Today host John Humphrys was among those to criticise the BBC’s "muddled" handling of the race row.

Naga Munchetty has avoided making any reference to the impartiality row over her Trump comments as she returned to television screens on Thursday morning (BBC)

Mr Humphrys, who presented Today for 32 years before quitting last month, defended Ms Munchetty, arguing that she had stated a fact, rather than an opinion.

"I think muddle is exactly the right word," he told Good Morning Britain. "If Naga wants to say, as a woman of colour, 'This has happened to me, this is my experience', she is absolutely entitled to say that.

"She is not offering an opinion. She is stating a fact.”

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