BBC Breakfast sparked a wave of viewer anger on Thursday morning after the programme missed the dramatic live return of four astronauts to Earth, with fans blaming an overrunning weather segment for the blunder.
Anticipation turns to frustration
Throughout the broadcast on Thursday, 15 January 2026, presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt had been building anticipation for the 'splashdown' moment. The astronauts were making an urgent return from the International Space Station following a medical evacuation.
However, as the critical moment approached, the programme extended its weather coverage. Munchetty handed over to meteorologist Matt Taylor, assuring the audience: "We are waiting for pictures of that shuttle coming back to earth; we'll be bringing those to our audience very shortly."
When the broadcast finally returned, Charlie Stayt announced: "We should tell you and everybody else, we have had a splashdown! I think, literally in the last minute or so." The confirmation came too late for viewers, who had missed the live event they had been promised for hours.
Social media storm erupts
Disappointed viewers quickly took to social media to vent their frustration. One viewer demanded: "If you knew the exact time why did you miss the coverage." Another agreed, stating: "Yeah, now they are playing catch-up."
The criticism was sharp and widespread. A third viewer exclaimed: "Bl**dy hellfire....I wanted to see the splashdown should of shown it instead of the weather." Another branded the incident "Hopeless space coverage", noting the show had been trailing the event since 6am.
The anger was palpable, with one person stating simply: "I'm mad." Another added: "I am fuming. Munchetty should have broken into the weather forecast. They have covered landings well before but this flopped."
Recap and recovery after the missed moment
Following the backlash, the programme showed recorded images of the SpaceX capsule bobbing in the Pacific Ocean. Naga Munchetty provided context, explaining the crew had arrived at the ISS in August last year for a standard six-and-a-half-month mission.
She detailed how a scheduled spacewalk was cancelled last week, with NASA later revealing a crew member had fallen ill, prompting the urgent return. "SpaceX Capsule, which you just saw, successfully undocked from the base overnight and then began a 10-hour journey back to Earth," Munchetty told viewers.
Despite the grainy footage, she pointed out the four parachutes used in the descent. The broadcast then showed improved visuals of the capsule, with a rescue vessel approaching to provide the ill astronaut with urgent medical assistance.
While audiences eventually saw a replay of the splashdown and learned about the recovery operation, the damage was done. The incident, occurring in the same week a guest bravely shared a cancer diagnosis on the show, left a significant portion of the BBC Breakfast audience feeling let down by the production decision that prioritised a weather report over a historic live moment in space exploration.
