Rick Edwards heaped praise on 'brilliant' Rachel Burden after announcing their exit from Radio 5 Live Breakfast - with Naga Munchetty replacing them.11:15, 29 Jul 2026Updated 11:23, 29 Jul 2026Rick Edwards has spoken out after it was announced that Naga Munchetty was stepping in to replace him and Rachel Burden on the BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast show.‌Yesterday, the Naga confirmed she would be leaving BBC Breakfast after nearly two decades at the helm. She will be moving across to the radio airwaves in January for a new job top with the corporation.‌Following the news, Rick - who will leave the breakfast show to make way for her - shared a lengthy tribute to his beloved co-host Rachel after five years of working together.‌“First things first - I HAVE AGED CONSIDERABLY SINCE THAT FIRST PHOTO, GOOD GRIEF,” he wrote alongside a string of pictures.“It does feel a bit premature to post this because, mercifully, Rach and I will still be on air together for a few more months, but given the announcement yesterday - we’re leaving @bbc5live Breakfast at the end of the year - I am already thinking about how much I will miss this lady.‌“This smart, funny, warm, kind, brilliant, incisive, speed-walking, vape-hating lady (with an eccentric approach to baking). I started the breakfast show as a fan of hers, and will end it as a super-fan, and super-friend.“Spending time with her every morning has been such a joy. We giggle even more off air than we do on air (which is arguably too much).”Reflecting on their on-air efforts, he continued: “We did a park run with a national treasure. We got sledged by cricketing royalty. We were immortalised by a caricaturist who I don’t think had ever seen our faces. We got through 5 (five) Prime Ministers, one of whom I interviewed with a hole in the seat of my trousers.‌“We created the much-coveted Up Down Quiz travel coffee cup. We tried and failed to eat a Terry’s chocolate orange in under 57 seconds. We played a game of backgammon live on the show. We enjoyed Nice People Doing Nice Things at 6.55am. We won an Aria! I’ve absolutely loved it.”Right on cue, fans flooded Rick’s comments with messages of support for the pair. One wrote: “Mornings just won’t be the same. But I’m rooting for a podcast for the two of you.”‌“I love listening to you both every morning you both make me laugh you always come on our travels with us your will be missed but good luck to you both for your future plans [sic],” an Instagram user agreed.“Beyond sad. You and Rachel are bloody brilliant. Thank you very much for all the larks xx,” another replied, while one said: “Absolutely gutted by the news! You were the best thing about my mornings!”Naga has been a staple of BBC screens for years, and has co-host the Breakfast show for 17 years, while also heading up Radio 5’s weekday mid-morning programme since 2021.‌She will now be making the move to the broadcaster’s breakfast show, with Rick and Rachel departing. While the latter - who has claimed the coveted slot for 15 years - will move to the weekday programme, her colleague’s next steps have not yet been announced.Rachel shared an emotional post marking her exit on Instagram on Tuesday, which read: “I am incredibly lucky. For the last 15 years I have woken up every morning and gone to work to do a job I love with a team of people who are talented and funny and kind. I can count on one hand the number of days I didn’t want to be there.‌“Every day is different. I’ve gone to places around the world I would never have dreamed of travelling to, talked to extraordinary people, witnessed events that have shaped history.“To get (well) paid to do a job like that, where I still get to pick the kids up from school most days and sit around the dinner table with them. That is incredibly lucky. But I can’t do this job forever. At some stage we all need to push ourselves off our butts, however lovely and comfy the seat, and change things up, do something new.“So - my time on 5live breakfast - along with Rick - will be drawing to a close at the end of the year. My luck hasn’t run out - I get to stay at 5live and start a new show on my own in 2027, taking up the 11-2 slot on weekdays.”Article continues below“@tvnaga is going to be brilliant in the morning,” she added. “She has the energy and the passion and love for the 5live audience to make the breakfast show her own, alongside her new co-presenter (tbc!)”Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .