UNBELIEVABLE: Inside BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay’s troubled marriage

Jon Kay replaced Dan Walker on BBC Breakfast (Image: BBC)

BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay has the love story for the ages – and met his co-star wife back in the nineties when they were both working together in a newsroom in Bristol. Jon, who replaced Dan Walker as Breakfast presenter alongside Sally Nugent, tied the knot with his wife Francesca Kasteliz in 1998.

Francesca originally worked for BBC News, but made a career U-turn from her journalism career to work as a performance coach for TV presenters and reporters. Her official bio reads: “Whether you’re a TV presenter, would-be TV talent, a reporter/correspondent, an expert in your field, a CEO or spokesperson for your organisation – I can help you fine-tune the skills you need to be the best you can be on-air.”

The pair live together in Westbury Park, Bristol, and share three children – two sons and a daughter. They also share an adorable cocker spaniel.

Jon tends to keep his personal life private, and hasn’t even shared the names of his children. But over the years he has let some details slip about his marriage, usually in the form of tweets.

Francesca also worked for the BBC (Image: X)

One post on X while Jon was working from home read: “Filing a radio report while contending with kids shouting, wife on the phone, washing machine whirring, doorbell ringing, postman delivering, dog barking, builders banging, school playground next door.”

But in September this year, he did confirm that all of his children are past school age, admitting on BBC Breakfast: “I’m just thinking, in our house, it’s the first time in 20-something years that we’ve not had anyone going to school.”

Sally reassured him: “Oh, don’t! That also is difficult.” Jon said he was “all right at the moment”, joking: “But I don’t know who is going to help me put my coat on!”

Jon’s wife Francesca has some famous connections in her own right – aside from her husband being a major BBC star. Her great-great-grandmother was Mary Caroline Blair, mother to Countess Ina Bubna-Litic – meaning she has nobility in her bloodline.

It hasn’t always been straightforward for Jon and Francesca. In 2022 they were faced with a housing row when they opposed plans to build a huge retirement complex close to their homes. A planning application for an £85million project would see a “net zero” retirement hub created to provide 122 “extra care” homes, plus a cafe, urban village hall and a sensory garden.

She made a career U-turn (Image: X)

Francesca spoke to Bristol World at the time, saying on behalf of campaign group St Christopher’s Action Network: “We are disappointed with the final plans to Bristol City Council, despite the high volume of feedback from our community who have a clear message that the size and scale of this scheme is completely unacceptable. These views have not been adopted in the plans.

“It remains a vast overdevelopment, with too many people crammed into too many blocks of flats that are too high and will have a worrying impact on road safety, traffic and parking.

“When the formal objection process opens, we anticipate a vast number of objections from people who are seeking a more sensitive and appropriate development.”

In 2023 the plans were refused.

Francesca has also spoken about being a parent, admitting on the What the Mum podcast: “I think there’s a lot about how we’re brought up as children. This makes me really question how I bring up mine – I’ve got two boys and a girl, so I’m always thinking about how I’m treating them, and I don’t want to treat them differently.

“I’m trying to give them the same values. There’s a lot about society’s pressure on women. This label about being bossy if we speak up. That still exists, but I think it’s getting better.”