Alison Ford, previously the UK Editor for BBC Newsgathering, is the current Editor of the programme, following the departure of David Kermode to Five News.

The programme was originally called Breakfast Time and was conceived as the BBC's answer to TV-am's plans for breakfast television. Breakfast Time was first broadcast on 17 January 1983, with Frank Bough, Selina Scott, Nick Ross and Russell Grant. The relaxed feel to the programme included a set designed to be a front room, with red leather sofas, and Bough and Ross wore jumpers and open-necked shirts which added to the air of informality. The first producer, Ron Neil, created a mix of serious news and accessible features, and the BBC show was a huge hit.

After Ron Neil's departure the programme began to revert to a more traditional and formal approach. Presenters included Kirsty Wark, John Stapleton, Jeremy Paxman and Sally Magnusson.

Following a relaunch, the programme was renamed Breakfast News in 4 September 1989 and followed a much more authoritative tone with a desk modelled on the style used on main news bulletins.

A further relaunch came on 2 October 2000 with the establishment of Breakfast, merging the operations of the separate BBC One and BBC News 24 (now the BBC News Channel) programmes for one single simulcast. Since April 2006 the BBC News Channel has begun rolling news coverage at 08:30 while the programme continues on BBC One until 09:15.

The current presentation of the programme was introduced with a wider relaunch of BBC One news bulletins on 2 May 2006. Breakfast moved into studio N6 at Television Centre with the other BBC One bulletins requiring a new, larger set design. The new set walls are made up of Barco video screens allowing for different backgrounds, graphics and still photographs. Initially the background used were of cirrus clouds on a blue sky but following comments from viewers that this was too cold, the background was replaced by orange squares from the new titles. This was also designed to hide any joins or faults between the screens which had been made obvious beforehand. The set has a generic format which can be used for other programmes like the national news bulletins with very little set movement.

On 28 January 2008, Breakfast returned to the TC7 studios, where Breakfast Time had been based after its move from the BBC Lime Grove Studios. It has remained in the studio, ever since. On 2 March 2009, Breakfast relaunched with a new set and new background to the studio. The backdrop resembles the BBC News channel backdrop as do the new Breakfast titles.

In July 2010 the BBC announced that Breakfast was moving to their new studios in Salford Quays. The decision has proved unpopular with some of the presenters and staff on the programme as this will require them to relocate.

The programme celebrated its 25th anniversary on 17 January 2008.

From 08:30 the tone of the programme shifts to a lighter tone. There is a sports bulletin followed by between three and five items that are mainly arts, entertainment or cultural in nature and in 2006, have included interviews with Halle Berry, Sir Michael Caine and Reese Witherspoon. This provides a link to the daytime schedule, via the daytime controller and also the BBC One Controller.