BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker made one whopping blunder on Wednesday morning, as he appeared to completely forget that his long-time co-host Louise Minchin had quit the show.
Louise famously raised her intention to leave the morning programme in June, announcing: “I have decided that it is time that I stop setting my alarm for 3:40 in the morning and I am going to be leaving the programme.”
She has been a stalwart of the show since 2001 – so it might just be forgivable that her announcement slipped Dan’s mind.
The duo were discussing the upcoming Olympics, when Dan announced that BBC Breakfast would be taken off air for the duration in a major schedule shake-up.
“In the next few days we’ve got a lovely build-up to the Olympics this summer,” Dan explained, before turning to Louise. “Because this programme is actually not on, is it, for the course of the Olympics?”
(Image: BBC)
Louise simply replied: “I’m not here.”
Realising his mistake, Dan giggled as he said: “Importantly, Louise isn’t here.”
Dan quickly diverted from his mistake by discussing a few Olympic documentaries, but Louise clearly hadn’t quite forgotten his slip-up.
(Image: PA)
“I may not be here but I will be watching back-to-back Olympic sport, it’s my favourite time of the year,” she added.
Louise hasn’t yet officially announced her leaving date – but it’s likely to be soon, according to Wednesday’s programme.
Viewers were initially left devastated as Louise announced her imminent departure, telling viewers from the red couch: “I’m just going to take a deep breath for this.
“So everybody, something I just wanted to tell you about. It will be this year 20 years since I first presented this programme and since then I’ve felt like part of a huge enormous BBC Breakfast family, which includes everyone who works here.”
(Image: BBC)
She continued at the time: “Everyone on the team and everyone of you who watches the programme. I’ve loved being part of it but. There is a but.
“I have decided that it is time that I stop setting my alarm for 3:40 in the morning and I am going to be leaving the programme.
In her original statement, Louise said of her leaving date: “It’s not going to be for a while and just before anything else I wanted to thank everyone who is watching for your loyalty for your support over all those years, I have absolutely loved being part of it, I will really miss it but it is time now to stop.”
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She said she will leave sometime after the summer but “the date is not set in stone”.
It isn’t yet clear who will be taking up Louise’s place on the sofa, though the job advert posted by the BBC states the post requires someone with “significant broadcasting experience” – so it will likely be a familiar face.
Rumours abound that anyone from Eamonn Holmes to existing BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent.
BBC Breakfast airs from 6am daily on BBC One.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
