BBC Breakfast

I believe he commutes from London, as did Susanna Reid until she moved to ITV.

She allegedly used to commute back and forth literally every day though whereas I expect Charlie doesn't.

I expect the BBC have a block booking at the local Premier Inn

I imagine that's the case for most morning shows. I believe that's the case here in the US even if someone's local. I guess it's a way of keeping tabs on people who are expected to be on air early in the morning and a way of ensuring they'll be on time. That way you have a schedule and routine - you know where the guest are, how long it will take them to get to the studio and ready.

Now does the BBC provide a driver for the hosts?

I think the BBC provide a taxi for people who have to be in earlier (or leave later) than it is feasible to get public transport. But that is what most good employers who require people to work unsociable hours do.

Whether they provide more for "stars" is probably a matter for the individual and what they have negotiated.

I can confirm that BBC do provide taxis for any "talent" appearing on a show whether it be radio or TV even local, got many a BBC taxi myself.

Yep - standard practice for the better-off bits of the BBC to offer taxi (it's usually a private hire people carrier) even for guests appearing for a single item. Breakfast give guests a room in the Media City Holiday Inn the night before if they need it, too.

Back in the day, they BBC owned the Langham Hotel next to BH. Key people on an early shift could stay there. I seem to recall some stories involving announcer James Alexander Gordon and alleged ghosts

Having just seen Louise Minchin and Dan Walker introduce Animal Park, I was wondering whether this trend of the presenters introducing BBC One's programme at 9:15am has become a regular thing, thereby skipping an "official" end to Breakfast and a standard programme junction? I'm assuming the rationale is for BBC One to retain as much of the Breakfast audience as possible heading into its daytime programmes.

I've seen them do it a few times in the past but I was wondering whether this was now a regular thing.

Yeah, it happens almost every day.

I assumed it only happened when the 9:15 programme was some sort of live show?

I don't know if this version of Animal Park is a live show or not?

You have to wonder if people turning over for the last 10 mins of Lorraine was such a big issue.

It's a pre-recorded Animal Park Easter special. I've seen them handing over to several pre-recorded programmes over the last year or so. Funnily enough, it doesn't happen on Saturday morning at 10am when Breakfast ends for Saturday Kitchen (even though they do include a live "preview" clip for the latter at about 9:25am each Saturday).

On weekdays, BREAKFAST ends on BBC ONE only, the BBC NEWS channel having left the programme at 0830. At weekends, however, after BREAKFAST ends, the two channels go their separate ways into their own junctions, so it would be impractical for Salford to do a handover.