BBC Breakfast presenter Charlie Stayt and his wife dodged bankruptcy today after striking a last-minute deal to clear a huge tax bill.
Popular Charlie, 62, and wife Anne, 58, a fellow broadcaster, owed £191,000 and had been served a bankruptcy petition last month.
But the High Court at London’s Rolls Building heard they had paid back £159,000 and a deal was made today for them to pay off the remaining £32,000.
Neither of them appeared at the two-minute hearing, where Judge Sebastian Prentis granted permission for the petition to be removed.
Anam Rezvi, for HMRC, said: “We would seek to withdraw the petition as the balance has now been reduced and the remaining balance has agreed to be paid by the debtors.”
The Stayts’ TV and broadcasting firm Stayt Limited was £6,409 in the red in accounts filed in December and covering to the end of March 2023.
The couple, who have two children, bought their four-bedroom home in Twickenham, South West London, for £800,000 in 2002, and it is now worth up to £2.3million.
Public school-educated Charlie began his career on radio before moving to TV, where he worked for ITV.
He fronted Five News’s coverage of the 9/11 terror attacks, and also worked for Sky News.
He joined Breakfast in 2006 and has been involved in some memorable moments alongside co-host Naga Munchetty, 49.
In 2020, Naga asked Charlie when he had last seen “a beaver”.
He replied, before dissolving into giggles: “Well, it’s probably been a while, if ever, in fact.”
He was also praised for his probing questioning of sullen pop star Lady Gaga, after she endorsed Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 US election with Donald Trump.
The flagship BBC show has had dozens of presenters during its impressive 40 years on air but the current stars are:
Jon Kay – Since 2022
Sally Nugent – Since 2021
Charlie Stayt – Since 2006
Naga Munchetty – Since 2014
Carol Kirkwood – Since 1997
