Naga squash bash
Pals’ abuse fears at racket bruises
Naga on Beeb show
NAGA Munchetty has told how colleagues feared she was a domestic abuse victim after her husband cut and bruised her face with a racket in a squash accident.
The BBC Breakfast presenter said she is seriously competitive at sports and loved to play the game with James Haggar before they married in 2007.
Naga, 45, said: “I always loved squash. I have numerous cuts and a bad scar from where my husband slammed the racket into my face. With James and I it is always competitive and I am one of those annoying players who get in the way.
“He hit me with the forehand. So I have this scar. I thought he had broken my jaw.
“There was blood everywhere so we drove to hospital. When we got there we were separated and they asked about domestic violence, which is right but James was mortified. He’d never raise his hand to anyone.
“I worked at Channel 4 News at the time. I went in and the side of my face was black. I had a black eye.
“I said it was a squash injury and you could see everyone’s concern. James refused to play squash with me for three years afterwards.”
Naga said she and James remained competitive in other sports and have similar personalities – including bad tempers. She admits to karate-kicking her golf bag.
Speaking on the Her Spirit podcast, Naga said: “James and I have horrendous tempers.
“We don’t row but we are brutal to each other if we have annoyed each other. It is out there, it is said, job done.”