The live broadcast of BBC Breakfast was thrown into disarray on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, when a fire alarm forced the sudden evacuation of a key regional news team.
Live Broadcast Thrown into Chaos
Presenters Sally Nugent and Jon Kay were hosting the popular morning programme from the main studio, delivering breaking news alongside regular contributors. Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood provided updates, while Emma Vardy and Olly Foster covered economic and sports news respectively.
The show had already covered several significant stories, including the tragic Bondi Beach shooting, the ongoing Post Office Horizon Scandal, and the death of American actor Gil Gerard. However, the planned handover to regional news teams across the UK hit a major snag.
South East Team Forced Off Air
When the programme attempted to switch to the BBC South East regional bulletin, viewers were instead presented with the BBC London news feed. Presenter Thomas Magill addressed the unusual situation directly, explaining: "A very good morning, welcome to BBC London and our viewers in the South East, where the news team there have been evacuated due to a fire alarm."
Magill repeated this explanation multiple times throughout the latter part of the show. It appears the issue was resolved later, as his final news segment made no further mention of the South East team's evacuation. The BBC has not provided additional details on the cause of the alarm, and The Daily Mirror has contacted BBC South East for an official comment.
This incident echoes a similar disruption several weeks prior, when BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast was pulled from airwaves following a fire at the BBC Scotland headquarters in Glasgow, forcing the corporation to broadcast pre-recorded music.
Other Major Stories on the Show
Elsewhere in Wednesday's programme, Sally Nugent and Jon Kay addressed the heartbreaking terminal cancer diagnosis of six-time Olympic cycling champion, Sir Chris Hoy. The 49-year-old revealed in February 2024 he was battling prostate cancer, and by October 2024 confirmed it had become terminal after spreading to his bones, with doctors estimating he has between two to four years remaining.
In a pre-recorded clip for a new BBC documentary, tennis star Sir Andy Murray became emotional discussing the news. "I was really upset by it. It's obviously cruel because he's a young guy, he has a young family," Murray admitted, adding that he thought about Hoy constantly in the days after hearing the diagnosis.
Dame Laura Kenny also shared her shock, stating: "You're just shocked aren't you, because Chris is a superhero in my mind... My heart broke."
