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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Sian Baldwin

Who is the real Naga Munchetty? An inside look at the Streatham-born TV presenter's life

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty is a household name across the UK, having become a mainstay on our screens for the best part of two decades.

However, recently she has come under fire for allegedly bullying a junior staffer, according to The Sun, with scrutiny rising over the internal culture of the broadcasting house.

But who is the real Naga Munchetty and do we know about her?

Who is Naga Munchetty?

Full name, Subha Nagalakshmi Munchetty-Chendriah, she grew up in Streatham, South London and now works as a TV presenter and newsreader.

Her mum, Muthu, is from India and her father from Mauritius. The pair met while working in Wales where her mother was training to be a dentist and her father to be a nurse. They went on to marry and have two daughters, Naga and her sister.

Munchetty went to school at Graveney School in Tooting before going on to the University of Leeds to study English language and Literature, graduating in 1997.

What has her career looked like?

Munchetty’s first job was woking as a journalist on the City pages of the Evening Standard. She also worked on the Business section of the Observer, before moving to an agency where her television career began.

She worked as a reporter for Reuters Financial Television, before leaving for a bigger tole as a senior producer for CNBC Europe.

From there she went to be a business producer and reporter for Channel 4 News as well as working a presenter on Bloomberg Television.

It was during this role that she caught the eye of the BBC, joining Working Lunch as a presenter in 2008.

See also: Inside the bullying claims at the BBC involving Richard Frediani and Naga Munchetty

She now reports from the City for BBC News, and has has presented early morning bulletins on the BBC News Channel and BBC World News. She is a regular presenter on BBC One's Breakfast show and hosts an 11am-2pm programme from Monday to Wednesday on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Is she married and does she have children?

Munchetty has no children but she is married.

She married broadcast consultant James Haggar in 2004 and the couple live together in Hertfordshire.

What is her medical condition?

Munchetty was diagnosed with adenomyosis in September 2022 and revealed her diagnosis during her BBC Radio 5 Live programme in May 2023.

Adenomyosis is a condition where the lining of the womb - known as a woman’s uterus- starts growing into the muscle in the wall of the womb. There are treatments that can help with any symptoms.

Adenomyosis is more commonly diagnosed in women over the age of 30. It can affect anyone who has periods.

Symptoms include heavy and painful periods, pain during sex and bloating.

Treatments include contraception medicine such as coils and the pill, and if things do not ease, hysterectomy can also be an option in severe cases.

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