BBC Breakfast ‘plunged into fresh Naga Munchetty row as bosses are accused of double standards by suspending Kaye Adams while their bullying row drags on’

BBC Breakfast staff have reportedly accused bosses of ‘double standards,’ by choosing to suspend Kaye Adams, while Naga Munchetty has remained on-air while her bullying probe drags on.

It was revealed on Sunday that Kaye has been removed from her £155,000-a-year job at BBC Radio Scotland while bosses conduct an inquiry into complaints that she ‘shouted and screamed’ at junior staff.

Naga was placed ‘under review’ and could face a full investigation from the BBC amid claims she bullied a junior colleague on the flagship morning show that emerged back in August.

However, she has remained as a host of the show, and due to this, sources are now complaining that she is being ‘pandered to,’ in contrast to Kaye, who was immediately taken off-air while investigations are carried out.

It also comes following reports last month that BBC Breakfast’s editor Richard Frediani was cleared after being at the centre of his own bullying and misconduct allegations, with Naga and co-host Charlie Stayt reportedly furious by the outcome.

The Daily Mail revealed on Monday that ITV are standing by Kaye during the investigation, and she will remain on their daytime show Loose Women.

BBC Breakfast staff have reportedly accused bosses of ‘double standards,’ by suspending Kaye Adams, while Naga Munchetty (pictured) stays on-air while her bullying row drags on

Kaye has been removed from her £155,000-a-year job at BBC Radio Scotland while bosses conduct an inquiry into complaints that she ‘shouted and screamed’ at junior staff

A source told The Sun: ‘The review on Naga and Charlie is rumbling on because new complaints keep coming up, which raise new questions, so they have to keep interviewing other people.

‘The news about Kaye Adams’ suspension up in Scotland has put the cat among the pigeons because she’s been accused of the same thing as Naga and Charlie – bullying.

‘People are saying it’s double standards and that the BBC are pandering to Naga particularly, because she is the big name because she has Breakfast and her 5 Live show.’

BBC Scotland refused to comment on the allegations against former Strictly contestant Kaye when they were first revealed over the weekend, but confirmed she had not left the organisation permanently.

When contacted by Daily Mail, they added: ‘We do not comment on individuals.’

A BBC spokesperson said ‘We do not comment on individual HR matters.’

Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Kaye Adams for further comment.

The Mail On Sunday first revealed over the weekend that Kaye had been removed from her BBC Radio Scotland show while an investigation was carried out into allegations she bullied co-workers.

It is believed the complaints were raised under the BBC’s Call It Out scheme to address bad behaviour in the workplace, an initiative set up in the aftermath of the scandal over former MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode.

Naga was placed ‘under review’ and could face a full investigation from the BBC amid claims she bullied a junior colleague on the flagship morning show that emerged back in August

One senior BBC source confirmed Kaye is not expected to return for at least two weeks while the investigation continues.

Kaye’s spokesman said ‘no complaints had been presented to her by the BBC’.

He added: ‘Further, she has worked for BBC Radio Scotland for more than 15 years and in that time has never had any issue raised about her.’

Sources said she was asked to attend a meeting with the station’s new head of audio, Victoria Easton-Riley, on October 8.

A BBC source said: ‘The meeting did not go well… She hasn’t been back since and she’s not been on air.’

Another senior BBC Scotland source said: ‘Kaye has been taken off air, she’s gone.

‘There have been complaints about her behaviour, and they’ve removed her while they investigate it. It’s being talked about all over Pacific Quay [BBC Scotland’s headquarters].

‘After the Gregg Wallace fiasco, they’re now getting much tougher on complaints about the talent and are starting to take these things seriously.’

Wallace was sacked after 45 allegations of misconduct against him spanning 19 years were upheld. They included one incident of unwelcome physical contact, three complaints of being in a state of undress and others involving inappropriate sexual, culturally insensitive or racist comments.

He was sacked along with Torode who was found to have used an extremely offensive racist term.

The BBC has been trying to clean up its act following a number of bullying allegations.

The inquiry involving Breakfast host Naga Munchetty is still ongoing, while Strictly Come Dancing has been rocked by scandals.

A BBC Radio Scotland source said: ‘The Call It Out campaign is everywhere now and that’s what has prompted people to come forward about Kaye.’

BBC Breakfast’s editor Richard Frediani took an extended period of leave after an internal review of bullying and misconduct allegations was opened into the show.

The BBC conducted 70 sessions and a ‘listening exercise’ with staff amid a crackdown on workplace culture.

And it has since emerged that a full probe into the editor, who helped guide the flagship morning show to its first BAFTA last May, is not anticipated to be launched.

Richard told staff last month that he had been cleared and would continue his roles managing both BBC Breakfast and the News at One, The Times reported.

‘He’s in a significantly more secure place than he was. And I think he’s had a lot of support from people on the team who have come out and said he’s a great editor,’ a source told the publication.

The Mail On Sunday first revealed over the weekend that Kaye had been removed from her BBC Radio Scotland show while an investigation was carried out

Naga was reportedly previously spoken to by bosses over claims she bullied a female junior staff member, as well as a complaint she used a slang term for a sexual act off-air

‘Not everyone on the team because there are divided loyalties, but he is in a much better place.’

Sources previously revealed Naga could face a probe from BBC bosses, and has been placed ‘under review’ amid claims she bullied a junior colleague on the flagship morning show.

A source claimed embattled presenter Naga had a reputation for going ‘ballistic’ at junior staff, and humiliated an intern who didn’t make her porridge perfectly.

The insider, who previously worked with Naga on BBC Breakfast, revealed the TV host is ‘an absolute nightmare’, adding that she would ‘kick off about the smallest of issues’.

An insider told the Daily Mail: ‘She’s an absolute nightmare. She has a reputation for going at young members of staff and making them out to be fools.

‘She would kick off about the smallest of issues, including one time when she went ballistic over her breakfast not being prepared exactly how she likes it by an intern.’

On one occasion, Naga refused to eat porridge delivered by an intern, which is typically done, saying it was ‘too hot’ for her to eat in the time she had, the source said.

‘She said it’s always made exactly the same way for her each day and would prefer if the same person made it who knows exactly how she likes it,’ they added.

‘The guy walked off the set utterly humiliated and went back to chuck it away before trying again later in the show. It was pretty brutal to watch.’

At the time a BBC spokesperson said: ‘While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values.

‘We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.’

Sources previously told The Sun that the BBC Breakfast host was ‘under review’ with bosses considering escalating complaints to a formal investigation amid concerns over her ‘hard’ and ‘bullying’ behaviour.

Following the amount of people who have come forward to share their experiences with Naga, the BBC has officially moved to place the complaints under review.

‘The review is to ascertain whether a full-on investigation is required and that could come in weeks’, the source told The Sun.

The journalist was reportedly previously spoken to by bosses over claims she bullied a female junior staff member, as well as a complaint she used a slang term for a sexual act off-air at BBC Radio 5 Live.

Naga used the slang term in 2022, which stunned the studio and led to Naga being spoken to by bosses.

It was then reported that last year, Naga was hauled into a meeting by bosses over the alleged bullying of a junior female colleague on BBC Breakfast.

However, following a review into the workplace culture on BBC Breakfast as well as reportedly on BBC Radio 5, a fellow presenter defended Munchetty as ‘incredibly hard working’.

‘She doesn’t suffer fools and is very professional,’ they told The Times. ‘She’s very direct and I’m OK with that — but I am aware that it doesn’t work for everyone.’