The TV and radio presenter on her contempt for bullies, embracing ageing and what she’s learned from decades of intense pain
My morning ritual is …
… to wake up to five alarms. My first – for BBC Breakfast, three days a week – goes off at about 3.45am. I don’t wake up easily. I have to shower and clean my teeth before I can even function. I don’t eat breakfast until at least two hours after getting up. For the rest of the week, I like to sleep with my curtains open, so I wake up with natural sunlight. As long as I’ve slept well, it’s all good.
I feel optimistic about …
… people learning to embrace getting older. I’ve just turned 50 and so many people said: “Ooh, are you OK about it?” I’m so grateful to be here. I just think life gets better: you get to know yourself better. I wish I’d been less fearful of what I thought was ‘old’ when I was young.
What makes me angry
Bullies. I can’t stand anyone who takes advantage of someone they perceive as weaker and exploits that. I can’t bear people who use their perceived strength to intimidate others and to make others smaller. I’ll call it out when I can.
If I wasn’t a TV presenter, I’d have liked to become …
… a veterinarian. I love animals. The reason I didn’t do it is because I don’t think I could cope with seeing abused animals. I’m a wimp and coward in that sense, because obviously the work to help those animals is more important than how you feel. If I won copious amounts of money, I would have a sanctuary where I could have all the animals people didn’t love and I’d employ people who wanted to love them.
The habit that has served me best in life is …
… not being shy of telling the truth, whether someone wants to hear it or not. It hasn’t always gone down well with friends and family or at work, but 99% of the time it’s the best strategy.
The habit I’ve successfully kicked is …
… saying “sorry” when I don’t need to, which is a rather British thing. And doubting myself when I really shouldn’t in times when I should trust my gut instinct.
My sources of joy are …
… great food, great wine, golf and laughing with friends.
When things get tough I …
… the bad thing I do is retreat. I’m like a wounded animal: slightly defensive, and I hunker down and close myself off. But the good thing I do is draw on my own strengths and beliefs that things will get better. I’m not afraid to get help, I’ve learned to do that. With my adenomyosis [a painful womb condition], which I’ve had since my late 20s, I don’t take pain as lightly now as I did. I will go and get myself seen by a doctor.
I had a bit of a health scare recently and went and got myself seen by a specialist. I didn’t wait and I got the reassurance and treatment I needed. Over the years, it’s been a learning curve, but now I don’t hesitate to protect my health.
The thing that motivates me most of all is being the best I can. I don’t do anything unless I can do it to the best of my ability
The book I wish everyone would read is …
… A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It’s the book I used to give to people as gifts. I love seeing people’s reaction to it. It’s about four boys who grow into men, who all have very different journeys, centred around the main character, Jude, who is horrifically treated. It’s a love story of friendship, and it’s heartbreaking.
The big thing I’ve changed my mind about in life is …
… that however much someone annoys you or you don’t like them, they are likely to have their own issues. It sounds trite to say: “Be kind”. But I’ve stopped myself being so dismissive of people who I think are arses.
What keeps me awake at night
There’s a long list but I’ve managed to value sleep more than things I can’t change: that happens when you get older. That said, I’m beginning to really feel bad for young people and the stresses they’re facing, such as not being able to leave home and rent or buy their own property, to feel financially secure and to not have the pressure of social media.
All teenagers have it tough, but we didn’t have the shit of social media to deal with. I worry about younger people feeling more hopeless and less optimistic than I was able to be in my teenage years and early 20s.
'I’ve just turned 50 and I’m so grateful to be here. I just think life gets better: you get to know yourself better,' says Naga Munchetty. Image: Rachel Joseph/BBC Archive
The thing that motivates me most of all is …
… being the best I can. I don’t do anything unless I can do it to the best of my ability. I’m ridiculously competitive, so I want to be the best. Even if I’m sweeping the floor, I sweep it ridiculously well.
My parents taught me …
… to work for hard, that nothing comes for free and if you want something you work hard for it. Being tired is not an excuse.
I have this theory that …
… every person who is prone to stopping still in the middle of a busy pavement will stop in front of me.
I’ve just turned 50 and I’m so grateful to be here. I just think life gets better: you get to know yourself better
I’d like to tell my younger self …
… that the loudest voice in the room is not necessarily the wisest. Just because they’re shouting their opinions and making sure they’re being heard, don’t ever forget that you formed your opinion through thought and it’s just as valid. Just because you’re not shouting and dominating the room, doesn’t mean your opinion isn’t worth hearing.
That was a massive deal for me when I was younger, at university and newsroom meetings. I’d sit and hear people scream and shout, and sometimes I thought they were talking utter bollocks, but I never said anything. They were so confident about shouting their nonsense and other people sat there really receptively, as if it was really wise, so I just thought to myself: “I don’t think that at all.” I’d think the exact opposite. More often than not, I think I was right – I just wasn’t confident enough to speak up.
Naga Munchetty is the chair of judges for the 2025 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. The longlist will be announced on 17 April, followed by the shortlist in June, with the winning plays announced at an awards ceremony in Manchester on 21 July
Munchetty is also a regular presenter on BBC Breakfast and has a show on Radio 5 Live from Monday to Wednesdays at 11am-1pm
Main image: Steve Schofield/BBC Archive
