BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent’s life has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs
BBC Breakfast: Sally Nugent shares breaking news
Sally Nugent has been a familiar face on BBC Breakfast for over a decade, and in 2021, she took up a permanent hosting role alongside Dan Walker.
Her big break came when Louise Minchin stepped down from her presenting duties after a 20-year stint, leaving the position open. Thanks to her extensive experience on the show, Sally was the successful candidate.
Before taking her place on the red sofa next to Dan, Sally often stepped in to help with hosting duties when other presenters were away or on leave.
She would also regularly appear on the programme to deliver sports updates alongside Mike Bushell.
Four years later, she’s no longer the newcomer, having welcomed a new co-host when Dan announced his departure from the programme in 2022 to take up a dream job on Channel 5, reports Bristol Live.
Jon Kay now joins Sally on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and the pair certainly bring a lot of laughter to the screen. While we know a lot about her professional life, not much is known about her personal life.
Rise to fame
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Born near Liverpool on the Wirral in 1971, Sally had a keen interest in media and studied Arts in Communication and French at the University of Huddersfield, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree.
After completing her studies, she got her first job with BBC Radio Merseyside before switching to news reading, delivering sports on BBC North West Tonight.
A few years later, she moved to BBC News to continue sports reporting. It wasn’t until 2011 that she joined the team at BBC Breakfast, where she remains a fixture.
Rarely seen teenage son
Away from the camera, Sally is a dedicated mother to a teenage son. Despite frequently mentioning him, she is extremely private about sharing any details about him.
Sally has never shared her son’s name, age, or even a picture of them on any social media platform. It is understood that he is now in his teens and following in his mother’s sporting footsteps.
In a previous interview with The Sunday Times, Sally gave a glimpse into a typical day at home with her family. She revealed: “Before I do anything, I check the overnight briefing notes to see which guests have been confirmed, what news I’ve sleep through and the latest political line. I don’t wake my husband or son. I’m a tiptoer. I have years of experience.”
Devastating divorce
Despite her preference for privacy, it was widely reported that Sally and her husband, Gavin Hawthorn, ended their 13-year marriage in 2023.
While the TV host has never personally commented on the breakdown of her marriage, it was reported that they parted ways “amicably” after they’d “grown apart” over the years.
According to the Daily Mail, a source disclosed: “It’s very sad, but they are no longer together, I think they tried to tough it out for quite a while as they didn’t want to split up if they could possibly help it for the sake of their son, but they clearly couldn’t make a go of it.”
Sally was reportedly left “devastated” after her marriage ended, with her former partner Gavin being the one to leave their £1.4 million Cheshire family home.
Romance rumours
In the world of BBC Breakfast, presenters often find themselves the subject of unfounded gossip, and Sally, alongside co-host Dan Walker, was no exception. In 2020, rumours swirled on Twitter, suggesting a romance between the two colleagues.
Typically, BBC Breakfast stars ignore online trolls, but one particular tweet got under Dan’s skin. Despite being happily married to his wife Sarah, he felt compelled to address the insinuations about him and Sally, who was also married at the time.
Dan robustly defended Sally and himself against the baseless claims, earning widespread support for his response. He sharply rebuked the Twitter user, saying: “‘That bird’ is my friend @sallynugent and she is happily married [at the time]. What a pathetic thing to tweet. I hope you treat that young girl in your Twitter banner photo with a bit more respect.”
Strictly Come Dancing
2023 was a significant year for Sally, as she separated from her husband and participated in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
She partnered with professional dancer Graziano Di Prima for the festive one-off show, which aired on Christmas Day.
Sally faced competition from Rugby player Danny Cipriani, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan, historian Dan Snow and children’s TV presenter Tillie Amartey.
BBC Breakfast airs every day on BBC One, from 6am.