BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has bravely opened up about her life-altering decision to get sterilised — a choice shaped by decades of crippling pain from adenomyosis, and one that made others label her “wicked.”
The 50-year-old journalist, known for her no-nonsense approach on-screen, revealed that she was diagnosed with the painful womb condition in 2022 after years of being dismissed by doctors. In her new book It’s Probably Nothing, she shares the toll it has taken — not just physically but emotionally and socially.
Speaking to Saga Magazine, Naga explained why she and her husband James Hagger, whom she married in 2004, chose not to have children. “We liked the life we had. Parenthood is expensive, exhausting, and a lifelong commitment,” she said. “But I remember people saying, ‘How can you deny your parents grandchildren?’ It was seen as something wicked.”
Her mother, although initially saddened, has since come around. “She tells me now: ‘It’s wonderful seeing who you’ve become. Isn’t that what every parent wants?’”
The BBC star also detailed her struggle to manage intense pain during broadcasts. “I dose myself with painkillers if I have to. I won’t compromise my work. I’m stubborn as hell,” she admitted.
One terrifying episode three years ago — when she collapsed in agony after a night out — pushed her toward finally demanding answers. Yet, when she called emergency services, she was told to “just take two paracetamol.” The dismissive response left her feeling humiliated and hopeless.
Despite being offered a hysterectomy, Naga declined, citing concerns about menopause and recovery time. “Just because a woman is a certain age doesn’t mean she no longer needs that part of her body,” she asserted.
Naga’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and the power of women taking control over their own health — even when the world tries to silence them.
