Rachel Burden has announced that she is leaving BBC Breakfast after 11 years.
The popular presenter – who also hosts 5 live's Breakfast Show – revealed on Sunday (12 July) that it was her final time on the BBC Breakfast red couch, thanking the team who put the morning show together, as well as her fellow presenters.
In the latest View From My Sofa interview, which took place before the news of her exit, Burden opens up to Radio Times about what she enjoys watching on TV, how she feels about the term 'nepo baby', and her biggest desire for the BBC's future.
What’s the view from your sofa?
The view from my sofa is an old fireplace. I keep a big jar of shells that I collect obsessively from the beaches of North Devon on it. It’s right next to the telly we bought during lockdown. At the time we thought we were introducing this gargantuan machine into the house, but it’s probably smaller than most standard TVs now. It’s remarkably robust. It’s survived five years, four kids, and a dog so far.
What have you been enjoying watching on telly recently?
Rivals on Disney+. I’m loving the second series of that. I watch it on my own, because it's too adult for my youngest [child] and my husband never quite got into it. So that's my great indulgence at the moment. The other thing I've really been enjoying is Dear England, the TV adaptation of the stage play.
Who controls the remote in your household?
After school it’s the kids. I spend a lot of time marshalling a warzone. The teenagers are watching Euphoria, and the little one enjoys anything about mystery and monsters. He’s currently into a TV series called Lockwood & Co. Then in the evening, because I have to go to bed really early, my husband spends a lot of time watching YouTube videos by himself, which sounds dodgy, but I think it’s fairly wholesome. He mostly watches anything to do with space or running.
What’s your snack of choice while watching TV?
There is a particular cheap German supermarket that does fantastic chocolate bars in different flavours – salted caramel, sea salt, orange and almond. They’re individually wrapped rectangles so they divide equally, and are just about the right size so that you don't feel you're massively overindulging, but equally feel like you've given yourself a bit of a treat.
What’s your first TV memory?
Bagpuss. I was terrified of him as a child. I have a really vivid memory of being three or four and running out into the garden during the opening credits. I was scared of the moment when he’d wake up, do a big yawn and the TV would go from black and white to colour. Then I’d come back inside for the story.
How have you managed to maintain the trust of the public for three decades at the BBC?
I recognise that when you work for the BBC you’ve got a huge responsibility. I know I’m in a really privileged position, and it’s on me to ensure we’re as fair and accurate as we can be. I never stop checking myself, and getting other people to hold me to account. If the audience ever feels like you’re overstepping the mark they’ll let you know it too. My co-presenter, Rick Edwards, says I have head girl energy. He might be right.
Both your father and your husband are also journalists. How has that affected you?
My dad has absolutely been an inspiration for me. Although he worked away quite often when I was young, I used to consume a lot of what he did on the radio and telly. Discussions about the news and political debate at home have always been normal. In terms of family life now, my husband's line of journalism is quite different to mine. He's always thinking about long-form investigations. The kids, they don’t particularly want to be journalists, but they know how to have an argument.
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What are your feelings towards the term ‘nepo baby’?
I do find it a strange moniker. With most professions, if you follow in your parents’ footsteps no one really bats an eyelid, but when it comes to more high-profile individuals, people question whether there’s an unfair advantage there, which I understand. I undoubtedly had the advantage of being exposed to the news environment. I would never deny it. But I’m also quite proud of the fact that I admired my dad’s career.
When you turned 50 you made a conscious effort to do more things for you. Why was that important to you?
For the last 20 years, my life has been directed towards work and family, and I really wanted to have a selfish, self-indulgent year. I wanted to set myself small achievable goals which were just for me – going for a night away at a hotel on my own, going to the cinema on my own, going to a restaurant on my own. We fight so actively against ageing and change, and we can look back at youth with rose-tinted glasses. It was an opportunity for me to reconnect with myself and reflect on how lucky I’ve been.
What’s harder – endurance running or covering breaking news?
When you’re covering breaking news you have a natural adrenaline that carries you through. Also, I don’t get out of breath or feel physically exhausted doing it.
How do you manage covering heavy news stories every day?
I interview normal people who do amazing things pretty much every week as part of the Cafe Hope segment on Radio 4, which I love. It’s a really joyful experience. I recently interviewed this amazing man who was introduced to heroin in the school toilets at the age of 13 and spent the next 20 years in and out of prison. He turned his life around when he joined a peer support group and went on to develop a community interest company called Getting Clean. It makes eco-friendly soap, with the profits going towards supporting other former addicts.
How would you say broadcasting has changed since you started out in the industry?
The tone of radio has changed. There’s more interaction with the audience and it's become much more conversational. But fundamentally, the reason people still love radio is the same as it’s always been. It’s about connection with the presenter and the audience. There's an intimacy there. You have the radio on in the shower with you, or when you’re driving. You can completely absorb yourself in the conversation and not get distracted by someone's hair or what suit they’re wearing. Nothing can replace that, or at least I hope nothing will.
What BBC service couldn’t you live without?
5 Live, my home station, obviously. I’ve worked there for 20 years but I still listen to it every day. I really love the sports content.
What could the BBC do better?
It could keep recommissioning Doctor Who for the sake of my 10-year-old son.
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