Munchetty climbs BBC pay ladder by landing 5 Live show

NAGA MUNCHETTY is to become beco one of the BBC’S highest-paid women wome after landing her own show on Radio 5 Live.

Munchetty will succeed Emm Emma Barnett as presenter of the midm midmorning slot from January, when Barnett moves to Woman’s Hour on Radio 4.

She will host the show from M Monday-Wednesday, while continuing to present Breakfast, on BBC One One, from Thursday to Saturday.

Last year, Munchetty e earned between £195,000-£199,999 for her role as a breakfast presenter, a and her forthcoming pay rise will see he her salary rise to over £250,000 per year.

She is expected to break into the top 10 of female earners and would become t he only wom woman of colour in t hat l i st as t he BBC strives to address diversity.

Munchetty, 45, guest-presented The Emma Barnett Show over the summer.

She said “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the 5 Live team. I have always wanted to work more in radio and after such an enjoyable experience presenting on the station rece recently, I jumped at this opportunity.

“5 Live has one of the most passionate, engaged audiences in radio.”

A presenter on Breakfast since 2009, she has been building her profile since appearing as a contes contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016. Munchetty’s interviewing style has previously drawn criticism. Harvey Proctor, the former Tory MP falsely accused of involvement in a VIP paedophile ring, walked off Breakfast, telling her: “I respect your work but you must not invite people on to your programme and then not allow them to speak.”

She was at the centre of controversy last year after making comments about Donald Trump and racism, after he told four US congresswomen to go back to “the crime-infested places from which they came”.

The BBC’S complaints unit initially ruled that she had breached impartiality guidelines.

But the then director-general, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, intervened to give her his backing, saying she had been “completely justified”.