BBC Breakfast fans were quick to voice their displeasure just minutes into the show as they noticed a crucial feature seemed to have disappeared.
Presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty were back on our screens this morning, Saturday, February 8, delivering the latest headlines, from a march against knife crime following teenager Harvey Willgoose’s death, to Trump’s thwarted attempt to furlough thousands of USAid workers.
The programme is famous for its iconic set, complete with the big red sofa, but viewers also cherish the red clock in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Yet, when the audience switched on at 6am, the clock was conspicuously absent and failed to make an appearance for the first hour and 15 minutes.
This oversight did not slip past the eagle-eyed viewers who promptly expressed their concerns on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Apprentice Pete must be on graphics today.. No clock..”, one viewer quipped.
Another remarked: “No clock on #BBCbreakfast today but we did have some #election results pop up for a moment.”
A third commented wryly: “I don’t know ….they axed click ,now they have axed the clock …what’s next the sofa”, while someone else simply asked: “Where’s the …”, accompanied by an alarm clock emoji.
The absence was short-lived, however, as the clock made its return to the screen before long, prompting a relieved response from fans.
“They’ve remembered to put the clock back on.”, noted one viewer.
Another cheerfully added: “First Charlie and now Naga telling us the time! Welcome back [alarm clock emoji]”.
A technical glitch occurred just days after a previous incident on Thursday, February 6. Discussing the topic of children dealing with grief, Charlie shared: “The Prince of Wales has opened up to teenagers battling bereavement about the painful experience of his mother, the late Princess Diana, dying when he was just 15 years old.”
However, as a voiceover started to outline the activities of a charity, the camera mistakenly stayed on Charlie and Naga who were in the midst of greeting their guests, standing from the sofa and shaking hands, unaware they were still being broadcast live.
The issue was swiftly resolved, and the intended footage resumed, but eagle-eyed viewers caught the slip-up. One viewer remarked: “Someone pressed the wrong buttons and it ended up being pretty wholesome view behind the scenes.”
Another added: “Oops camera fail”, while a third humorously queried: #BBCBreakfast Is Apprentice Pete on the cameras this morning?”
BBC Breakfast continues every day at 6am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.