Former BBC reporter Danny Kelly has blasted BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty for “mocking” the Union Jack flag.
Munchetty and her co-host Charlie Stayt faced backlash in 2021 for “sneering” at the flag on BBC Breakfast. She later apologised for liking tweets mocking Union flag displays.
On Monday, Kelly appeared on GB News to debate new findings that appeared to show British pride has plummeted in recent years.
He claimed the British flag has been "hijacked" by right-wing Brits and argued that the BBC is “partly responsible” for the decline in national pride.
GB News presenter Martin Daubney asked Kelly: “Are you proud to be British still?"
He replied: "Yes, I'm tremendously proud to be British, Martin, but I'll tell you what infuriates the hell out of me.”
He went on: "I've just come back from Greece, where there are Greek flags flying everywhere. The year before, I was in Turkey, and there were Turkish flags flying everywhere. You don't get dopey, lefty liberals telling you that it's racist to fly flags in Greece or Turkey.
"Do you know what? We are suckers because about 40 or 50 years ago, some progressive left-winger all of a sudden decided to come up with a lie that the Union Jack, which is flying beautifully on our television screens, has been hijacked by the far-right."
He continued: “And the BBC are partly responsible for perpetuating this rubbish. Just remember, Naga Munchetty in 2021, who openly mocked and ridiculed the Union Jack.
“When GB News decided to open up the Breakfast show with the national anthem, believe you me, they would have sneered.
"They would have ridiculed, they would have looked down their noses at GB News in the BBC world, they really would. They've done nothing to help this."
In 2021, Munchetty and Stayt came under fire for laughing at the large Union Jack flag on display behind Reform MP Robert Jenrick while he was giving an interview .
Stayt pointed out the flag, saying “I think your flag is not up to standard size, government interview measurements. I think it’s just a little bit small, but that’s your department really.”
Munchetty - who recently announced she is leaving BBC Breakfast - was seen laughing into her hand and added: “There’s always a flag. They had the picture of the Queen, though.”
She reportedly later received a “reminder” from BBC bosses about inappropriate social media use after liking posts about the British flag.
She apologised in a statement on X that read: “I ‘liked’ tweets today that were offensive in nature about the use of the British flag as a backdrop in a government interview this morning.
“I have since removed these ‘likes’. This do(es) not represent the views of me or the BBC. I apologise for any offence taken. Naga.”
In a statement, the BBC said the exchange between the two presenters was “light-hearted” and not meant to offend.
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