Sally Nugent BBC Breakfast—all you need to know about Louise Minchin's replacement on the daily show

The recent Sally Nugent BBC Breakfast announcement has delighted fans as it was finally confirmed she's taking over from Louise Minchin on the daily show. 

After 20 remarkable years on the news program, the long-time host bid farewell to loyal viewers in September and many couldn’t help wondering who would replace Louise Minchin on BBC Breakfast. Now after many weeks of speculation, it’s been confirmed that her replacement will be none other than Sally Nugent, who'll already be a familiar face to BBC Breakfast fans. She’s been filling in for Louise from Monday-Wednesday alongside Dan Walker, a much-loved member of Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up, before the role was officially made permanent.  

Taking to Twitter, a delighted Sally confirmed the news of her BBC Breakfast hosting role alongside a sweet snap of her and Dan, beaming from the iconic red sofas. She declared, “Delighted to confirm I’m joining @mrdanwalker permanently as co-presenter of @BBCBreakfast. Working with the best team in the business”. 

And it seems that in between taking on his weekly training sessions with Strictly dance partner Nadiya Bychkova, Dan is ecstatic to have Sally joining him on the morning show.  

Tweeting himself, Sally’s BBC Breakfast colleague excitedly posted, “I am so happy for @sallynugent. She is a brilliant presenter, massively popular with the team, an excellent journalist and a great friend.” 

He also revealed that she’ll be coming to watch him take on the lively jive in Strictly at the weekend. And as fans continue to enjoy watching Sally Nugent on BBC Breakfast every day, many might be wondering what the star did before she landed this coveted role…

What did Sally Nugent present before BBC Breakfast?

Whilst Sally Nugent’s BBC Breakfast role is her most recent career highlight, it’s certainly not the first time the broadcast star has presented a high-profile show. Prior to taking over from Louise Minchin, Sally’s first-ever media position was at BBC Radio Merseyside. She then went on to report and read the sports news over on BBC North West Tonight. From there, Sally Nugent’s broadcast star continued to rise and in 2003, she became a sports presenter for BBC News and appeared on huge national bulletins. 

As reported by The Mirror, it was in November 2011 that the host started out as a freelance co-presenter on BBC Breakfast, filling in whenever regular presenters were on leave or unable to take to the red sofas. After the show moved from London to Salford, it was Sally and Mike Bushell who then started presenting sports news on BBC Breakfast. 

Then from mid-September 2021 after Louise Minchin made her exit from the show after two decades, Sally stepped in to cover her alongside Dan Walker, making her many people’s frontrunner to replace Louise, even before the official announcement was made. 

Is Sally Nugent married and who is her husband?

BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent is married, though fans might be a little intrigued to discover that his name is not known to the public. Instead, Sally is understood to prefer keeping her family life out of the spotlight and maintains a high level of privacy when it comes to her relationship with her husband. This is similar to how Dolly Parton’s husband Carl Thomas Dean prefers to keep away from the cameras, leaving Dolly to shine in the limelight. 

Similarly, Lorraine Kelly’s husband Steve Smith is also rarely pictured out and about with his famous wife, though the Scottish journalist does occasionally share rare images of her and her husband on her social media pages, usually in tribute to a significant anniversary or holiday. 

But whilst Sally Nugent’s husband’s identity might not be known, she has previously shared a candid picture on social media that might just have given eagle-eyed fans a sneak peek at her wedding day.

Posted back in February, Sally shared a snap of herself sitting on the stairs in her stunning home, a celebratory drink in her hand as she thanked the Royal Television Society after winning the Scoop of the Year award for the important Free School Meals story. In the background on the stairs, some might be able to just make out what appears to be a wedding picture. 

Sadly, the picture is too small to confirm that this is indeed Sally Nugent and her husband. Despite this, the white dress is spectacular and it’s heart-warming to think this could be the long-term couple on their big day. 

Does Sally Nugent have children? 

Sally Nugent and her husband have one son together and it might come as no surprise given Sally Nugent’s decision to keep her husband’s identity private that the BBC Breakfast star has never revealed their little boy’s name. However, Sally is understood to have given birth to their son back in 2008 and reportedly returned to work in January 2009 after maternity leave. 

And as a touching gift following their baby’s arrival, Sally has previously revealed that her husband bought her a stunning and very appropriate piece of jewelry. Opening up during an interview with Express.co.uk in 2018, she explained, “When I had our son my husband bought me a 'blue for a boy' vintage aquamarine ring from an antique jewellers in Richmond, London.”

Given her self-proclaimed love of vintage jewellery and the special meaning behind the color this incredibly thoughtful gift likely remains a treasured item in Sally’s jewellery box.

What is Sally Nugent’s age? 

Sally Nugent is 50 years old and celebrated her milestone birthday on August 5, 2021. In keeping with her preference for privacy, Sally shared only a few snaps from the day on social media but revealed that she had a small celebration for her “big birthday” and enjoyed a delicious-looking chocolate cake topped with chocolate-covered strawberries. 

Does Sally Nugent have a dog? 

If there’s one thing that BBC Breakfast’s Sally Nugent loves talking about on social media, it’s her adorable Cavalier King Charles and Toy Poodle mix, Sadie. Whilst she might prefer keeping her husband and son away from public scrutiny, Sally often shares unbelievably cute snaps of their family pet. 

Taking to Instagram in March last year during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, Sally spread joy to her followers by posting a hilarious photo of Sadie lying on the sofa. 

In the picture, Sadie can be seen gazing up at the camera, her head resting gently on a spotted cushion and her fur looking especially fluffy, as Sally captioned the post, “Letting our normal grooming standards slip a little#stayhome”.

As Sally Nugent’s BBC Breakfast career continues following the recent exciting announcement, fans will no doubt be looking forward to hearing more insights and anecdotes from the broadcaster—including her verdict on Dan Walker’s dancing!