Dan Walker Exits BBC Breakfast: A Look Back at His Time on the Iconic Red Sofa
As Dan Walker prepares to star in a new documentary, Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row, which airs on Channel 5 tonight, we take a look back at his time on BBC Breakfast and the reasons behind his departure. According to an article by the Manchester Evening News, Dan Walker has been a familiar face on television for many years, starting his career as a commentator with Granada Television in 2003 before moving to BBC’s North West Tonight in 2004.
In 2009, he took over as host of Football Focus on BBC One and later became the morning host on BBC Breakfast, sharing the screen with Louise Minchin until her exit, and briefly co-hosting with Sally Nugent. His departure from the iconic red sofa came as a shock to viewers who had been tuning in daily to watch him for over ten years. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, it was announced that Dan would be embarking on new ventures, having secured the position of lead anchor on 5 News.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Dan’s exit from BBC Breakfast was met with sadness from viewers, with many expressing their disappointment on social media. Dan had been with the show for 13 years and had become a staple of the programme. In April 2022, Dan broke the news to viewers that he would be stepping down from his role as co-anchor on BBC Breakfast, citing an enticing proposal from a competing broadcast company that he stated was an offer too good to pass up.
As quoted by the Manchester Evening News, Dan expressed: “It’s always been my dream to do a job like this. It feels a bit surreal I won’t be sitting on the sofa anymore.” However, his departure was not without controversy. In 2020, Dan and co-host Louise Minchin interviewed One Direction member Louis Tomlinson about his life events. Louis had explicitly communicated to them that he did not wish to discuss his late mother and sister during the interview.
The Manchester Evening News reported that Dan faced backlash over the interview, with Louis venting to his followers on social media, stating: “Defo won’t be going on there again.” Dan defended his inquiry into the One Direction member’s loss during their conversation, pointing out that the line of questioning had been approved by Louis’ team before they went on air. However, Dan revealed that he had received death threats following the interview with the musician, stating: “I used to get weird death threats from people. I did an interview with Louis Tomlinson once and I asked him what was a perfectly legitimate question about the death of his mum, and we’d already said to his people that we would ask that, and he took it badly, and wasn’t happy with it.”
The broadcaster continued, discussing the intensity of the One Direction fanbase, “You know what it’s like with One Direction, there were thousands and thousands of messages coming every 10 minutes. I think five people threatened to kill me that day.” Tonight, Dan will feature in Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row, which will air on Channel 5 from 9pm, where he will confront a double-murderer. The programme is set to be a challenging and thought-provoking episode, and viewers will be eager to see Dan tackle this new and difficult topic.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Dan’s new documentary is just the latest in a long line of challenging projects he has undertaken. With his experience on BBC Breakfast and his new role as lead anchor on 5 News, Dan has proven himself to be a versatile and talented journalist. As he takes on this new challenge, viewers will be watching with great interest to see how he approaches this difficult and sensitive topic. The documentary, Dead Man Walking: Dan Walker on Death Row, airs on Channel 5 tonight at 9pm.
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