'BBC Breakfast' host Naga Munchetty mourns the death of pet cat

Naga Munchetty has said the death of her cat Missy has left a "massive hole" in her heart.

The BBC Breakfast host shared her loss on social media, paying tribute to her beloved pet.

Munchetty, 47, said: "Said goodbye to our darling, sweet girl Missy yesterday.

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"She may have been small, but she was immense in stature. The sweetest cat I've ever loved.

"She's left a massive hole in our hearts and home."

The TV presenter and journalist - who lives with her broadcast consultant husband of 17 years James Haggar - has two other cats Bella and Xena.

She often posts picture of her feline pets on social media.

In 2020 she revealed Bella had undergone surgery, sharing a picture of the cat in a cone collar and joking: "This is how we left post-op Bella when we went to buy food (yes, essentials) this morning.

"Then when we found her after attempting to escape the 'Cone of shame'... And the bin that she knocked over while trying to dismantle the cat flap...

"I can safely say that @jameshaggar09 and I are not in her good books..."

Munchetty - who competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 - has been a host on BBC Breakfast since 2014.

She has often been celebrated for her strong retorts to online trolls who send her abusive messages.

And she is not afraid to speak out when she encounters racism in her daily life.

The TV presenter found herself at the centre of a broadcast controversy in July 2019 during a discussion about former US President Donald Trump's comments telling his opponents to "go back to where they came from".

She said: "Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism. Now I'm not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean."

The discussion apparently sparked complaints from viewers who felt that the BBC were not remaining impartial and in September 2019, Munchetty was ruled to have breached the BBC's guidelines.

It outraged many, especially as co-host Dan Walker was apparently complained about too but not investigated, and an open letter asking for the corporation to consider their ruling again was signed by famous supporters including Sir Lenny Henry.

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By the end of September 2019, then-BBC director-general Tony Hall overturned the ruling after looking into it himself.

Watch: Naga Munchetty's remarks that were eventually ruled NOT to have breached BBC guidelines.