Sally Nugent left flustered as Vernon Kay dismisses her 'basic' question

14 November 2023 , 20:59

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Sally Nugent left flustered as Vernon Kay dismisses her 'basic' question

BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent appeared frustrated when Vernon Kay dismissed her 'basic' question during an interview about his upcoming mega run.

The 49-year-old broadcaster joined Monday's episode of the morning show to talk about his upcoming 115-mile Ultra Ultra marathon, which he is completing to raise funds for Children In Need. The extreme challenge, which will see Vernon run all the way from Leicester to Bolton, is expected to take four days to finish.

Speaking to Sally and co-host Jon Kay from the starting line via video link, the Channel 4 personality admitted to feeling "nervous" for the race before questioning if he had done enough training to cover its lengthy distance.

Sally Nugent appeared flustered with Vernon Kay after he appeared to dismiss her question about his ultramarathon (BBC)

"We had a big team dinner, a big meeting and now I am feeling really nervous, I'll be honest, because the moment has arrived, we will set up in 45 minutes, we will go live to Zoe Ball on Radio 2," he said. "But the nerves have built and built and now I'm thinking can I do it? Have I done enough training to get through this epic challenge?"

Things took a slightly uncomfortable turn, however, when Sally quizzed Vernon about his preparation for the gruelling voyage. "How on earth do you train for something like this?" the 52-year-old asked. Vernon responded with a chuckle before repeating the query: "How do you train for something like this? Well, by running, you just go running."

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Seemingly unimpressed by this basic answer, Sally clarified her question in the hope of getting more details out of the cheeky TV personality. "I've been doing my finest Forrest Gump impression, lots of miles under the belt, different tempo, I have been doing long runs at a slow pace and short runs at a faster pace, then short and slow and long and fast," he said.

Caught off guard by his elaboration, Sally defended herself, saying: "See! It's more complicated than you said!" Later, Vernon apologised to Sally for his earlier remark, stating: "Sorry for being cheeky!"

BBC Breakfast viewers were quick to react to the awkward exchange, with many posting on X, previously known as Twitter, to praise Vernon for his dry wit in the live interview. "What a creative question Sally! Vernon is hilarious," one person wrote, while another said, "Sally Nugent asks Vernon Kay how he trains for a long charity run. His answer was classic: 'I go running!' A sample of the in-depth interviewing Nugent brings to #BBCBreakfast."

Kay began his ultramarathon shortly after eight o'clock this morning, having already raised more than £66,500 for the important cause. He aims to reach Derby by this evening, which will bring him to 27 miles. His final destination is Bolton Wanderers Football Stadium, where, if all goes according to plan, he should reach by Friday. He will also make a couple of stops in Bolton along the way.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Emma Dooney