Louise Minchin: BBC told me to ‘find another job’ when I asked for more child-friendly hours

Louise Minchin has claimed BBC bosses told her to “find another job” when she asked if she could reduce her work hours after giving birth.

The former BBC Breakfast presenter gave birth to her first daughter Mia in 2002, while working on Radio 5 Live, and asked if she could reduce her hours to spend more time with her new baby.

But Minchin, now 54 - who felt “anxious and overwhelmed” at finishing every shift at midnight - was told she would not be able to reduce her work hours unless she quit her job.

‘This is not acceptable’

She told the Dirty Mother Pukka podcast: “I was working on 5 Live, I was doing an evening shift, I was working on something called Sport on 5, I think I did it five days a week.

“I had to be in at 2pm or 4pm and I was working until midnight.

“My husband didn’t have a job at the time because he was setting up a company, I was the only person that was going to bring money.

“I went back, I may have still been breastfeeding ... I was just getting through, I was feeling very anxious and overwhelmed.

“I asked: ‘Could you maybe take my hours down a bit? Or could I maybe just do one day a week less?’

“They said: ‘No, you have to do that or you have to find another job.’”

Minchin said she did choose to leave the programme after the incident, refusing to accept such treatment.

“I did leave …. It felt brilliant. I thought this is not acceptable, and I’m not going to accept it.”

Minchin returned to work for the BBC on Radio 5 Live after 2002.

Presenter quit to spend more time with family

The television presenter announced that she was stepping down from her role on BBC Breakfast in September 2021 after nearly 20 years to spend more time with her family.

“In December I’d taken three, four weeks off work because of an ankle operation and I had that period to realise that when I’m not getting up at 3.40am in the morning, I’m doing all sorts of things in the evening that I want to be doing – like just watching telly with my family, doing that kind of family stuff,” she previously told The Mirror.

She was replaced by Sally Nugent, who now presents the show alongside Jon Kay, Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty.

Minchin now hosts a podcast called Push Your Peak.

The television presenter married David Minchin in 1998 and the couple have daughters.

A BBC spokesman said: “We are sad to hear about a negative experience at work like this.

“Things have changed significantly for new parents over the last 20 years and the BBC of today is committed to being an inclusive organisation, we aim to support all employees during pregnancy, adoption and life as a new parent with policies including flexible working.”