Celebrities

BBC Star Samira Ahmed Stuns Viewers with Surprise Sign Off and Fans Are Not Happy

Published on July 21, 2025

BBC Breakfast regular Samira Ahmed caught fans off guard after announcing that Newswatch is taking a break for a few weeks — and let’s just say, the reaction online has been less than cheerful.

The surprise news came during Saturday’s edition of BBC Breakfast on July 19, with Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty steering the morning show as usual, giving updates from across the UK and around the world. Simon King was popping in with the latest weather forecasts, and Mike Bushell kept viewers in the loop with sports.

As the show rolled on, the pair handed over to Samira for the Newswatch segment, which is that weekly part of the program where BBC viewers get their say on recent news coverage. It’s broadcast on Friday nights on the BBC News channel and again during BBC Breakfast on Saturday mornings, for those who fancy their coffee with a side of media accountability, reported the Mirror.

This time around, Samira chatted with Roger Mosey, the former Head of BBC Television News, about some controversy over the narrator chosen for a BBC documentary on the Gaza conflict. That topic sparked plenty of feedback from viewers, as you’d expect. She also briefly mentioned recent bulletins involving MasterChef favorites Gregg Wallace and John Torode, who were reportedly axed from the long-running cooking show — a claim that certainly raised eyebrows among fans.

But it was how she ended the segment that really got people talking.

She calmly told viewers, “We are off the air for a few weeks now, but please do continue to get in touch with us over the summer and we’ll be back with more of your thoughts about how the BBC covers news in the first week of September”, reports the Express.

Just like that, Newswatch is pressing pause for the summer — and not everyone is thrilled.

Over on X (you know, the platform formerly known as Twitter), viewers didn’t hold back. Some were less than impressed with how the final episode before the break turned out.

“Well, that was a waste of 10 minutes,” one viewer posted bluntly.

Another chimed in, saying: “Disappointing… and last one too,” while someone else added a frustrated “Not this again.”

There was also a comment that summed up a few people’s mood: “Newswatch spending way too long on one little whinge.”

It’s clear fans had hoped for a bit more substance in the final instalment before the summer break, especially since Newswatch has built a bit of a following for holding the BBC to account and giving licence-fee payers a rare voice on air.

Despite the criticism, many will no doubt be counting down the weeks until the show returns in September. And Samira, who has fronted the show with her usual calm and collected style, will be back at the helm to pick up where she left off — sorting through all the praise, gripes, and eye rolls the BBC receives in its round-the-clock reporting.

Until then, Newswatch fans will just have to hang tight and hope the next series kicks off with something a bit punchier.

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