BBC Breakfast celebrated 40 years on the broadcaster on Tuesday morning, with a number of guests in the studio returning from the first episode of the breakfast show.
BBC Breakfast, which launched as Breakfast Time on January 17, 1983, saw a return of the show's original on-screen analogue clock to commemorate the initial launch decades ago.
Hosts Sally Nugent and Jon Kay went on to share their memories of watching the first episode of the show’s predecessor 40 years ago, with Kay even using a special retro-branded mug.
The original BBC breakfast television presenters Debbie Rix and Russell Grant returned to the red sofa to celebrate the big day.
Debbie, who was one of the first newsreaders on British breakfast TV, admitted she was a ‘tiny frightened rabbit’ of a person when she first started.
Meanwhile Russell, who was the show’s resident astrologer, also recalled how the show’s first editor, Ron Neil, had transformed him from a news and current affairs style to ‘light entertainment’ by making him wear coloured jumpers.
Presenters Sally and Jon decided to embrace the throwback by trading in their typical formal wear for cosy jumpers to mark the anniversary.
Sally told Jon she could remember what she was doing when she first watched the show, saying: “I was getting up, getting ready for school, put the TV on and couldn’t believe the news was on television.”
Jon then produced an old childhood diary, sharing his entry written on the day of the launch.
“Dear diary, I woke up at 6am to watch the most publicised and now criticised breakfast TV. It was good – but all news!” young Jon wrote.
When it first aired, Breakfast Time was revolutionary, mixing hard news with showbusiness, gossip, health and even a daily astrology segment.
One segment featured videos sent in by viewers, wishing the programme happy birthday and telling stories of their experiences of waking up early to watch it.
Special guests included former weatherman Francis Wilson and the so-called ‘Green Goddess’ health and fitness guru Diana Moran.
Moran, who was known as the “Green Goddess”, led a popular exercise segment on the original show, which was called Breakfast Time.
To celebrate her return, she was joined at London’s Waterloo station on Tuesday by presenter Jayne McCubbin to recreate a segment from the first programme, where they surprised commuters by getting them on their feet to do some aerobics.
BBC Breakfast also welcomed back singer Leo Sayer, who was a guest on the first episode of the show 40 years ago.
During Tuesday’s anniversary episode the show aired a clip from Sayer’s interview with original hosts Frank Bough and Selina Scott.
Dressed in a red leather jacket, the English-Australian singer told the hosts 40 years ago: “This is the first time in 30 years I’ve been up this time in the morning and it’s amazing and I must congratulate you all on the way you’re coping. It’s absolutely fantastic, a beautiful presentation and a great-looking show.”
Sayer also explained that he had complimented the team on ‘coping’ back in 1983 because many of the TV crew had complained to him that morning about having to get up so early, to which Sally joked: “It’s not new anymore but we still do that.”
