Breakfast old-timers!
Veterans return to BBC sofa for 40th anniversary
THE famous red sofa has been the scene for countless conversations over the years.
And yesterday it welcomed back some familiar faces as stars of BBC’s Breakfast past and present joined in celebrations for the show’s 40th birthday.
The programme, which was originally called Breakfast Time, was launched on January 17, 1983 with hosts including Frank Bough, Selina Scott and Nick Ross.
It was the first breakfast TV show in the UK, pipping the ITV version, TV-am’s Good Morning Britain, by two weeks. The original version mixed hard-hitting news stories with showbusiness, gossip, health and daily astrology slots. Yesterday current hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were joined by a trio of 1983 veterans – newsreader Debbie Rix, now in her 60s, weatherman Francis Wilson, 73, and astrologer Russell Grant, 71. Singer Leo Sayer, 74, a guest on the first episode, recalled that Ms Scott was the ‘Princess Diana of TV’.
Green Goddess fitness guru Diana Moran, 83, led a workout session at London’s Waterloo station – echoing a scene from four decades ago. The show also featured the original clock on screen.