
‘My heart sank' – BBC legend reveals she ‘had to drink a lot of vodka' to deal with nerves of making MOTD history
Published: Invalid Date,
FOOTIE commentator Jacqui Oatley has opened up about overcoming the backlash she faced when she made telly history.
It's been EIGHTEEN years since Oatley became the first woman to commentate on Match of the Day.
The announcement that Oatley would cover Fulham's 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on April 21, 2007 made headline news.
In an interview with The Athletic, Oatley explained how she had honed her craft while offering live commentary and reports on radio for several years before that.
And the Match of the Day gig would involve an editor clipping Oatley's 90-minute commentary, recorded 'as live' at Craven Cottage.
It would be cut into an eight-and-a-half-minute audio package to air over the match footage for the BBC highlights show.
But Oatley recalled the "stomach-drop moment" when she realised that her history-making commentary job had received a lot of negative coverage and fan fury.
The Wolves fan told The Athletic: 'My heart sank. That's when it really grew legs with the sexism element.'
Three days before her big job, Oatley's radio alarm woke her up at 7am with the sound of Radio 5 Live talking about it.
Presenter Rachel Burden, who Oatley 'loves to bits', was introducing vox pops from members of the public who had been asked whether Oatley should be allowed to do it.
By the Friday, the day before the match, Oatley admitted to hardly having slept or eaten.
The 50-year-old added: 'My only regret was that I couldn't be at my best for the most-watched game of my life.
Unseen Match of the Day footage shows how pundit analysis really works as BBC boss looks to cut highlights
3
'I'd love for it all to have stopped and just gone away. But that was never an option.
'I was really conscious that if I'd commentated and people hated the sound of my voice, or they just didn't trust me to convey what was going on.
'It was purely the judging of my gender. I wanted to do a good job, but also hang around and stay around, not just do it on that day.
'Because people do make assessments of an entire gender based on that kind of thing, which is hilarious and ridiculous at the same time.'
And during the commentary itself, Oatley admitted to feeling like a bag of nerves and that she needed a strong drink afterwards.
It was purely the judging of my gender.
Jacqui Oatley
In his post-match interview, the then-Blackburn manager, Mark Hughes, asked her how it went.
She then walked to her car in a daze, drove home and called Alison Mitchell, the cricket commentator, and 5 Live presenter Phil Williams to arrange a night out.
Oatley said: 'I wanted to drink a lot of vodka to make it possible to deal with the final thing.'
She paced the hallway of Mitchell's flat decided her efforts 'didn't sound too horrendous. I just needed to get through it'.
3
MOTD presenter Gary Lineker - who is leaving the flagship show after 25 years at the end of this season - introduced Oatley's segment.
Lineker said: 'After all the publicity this week, the moment has finally come for a little piece of history on Match of the Day.
'For the first time ever, Lawrie Sanchez took charge of his Fulham side at Craven Cottage. Also making her debut, commentator Jacqui Oatley.'
And now Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan will join Mark Chapman as part of a trio of presenters to front MOTD from next season.
Oatley's career went from strength-to-strength as she became a leading figure in the world of sport journalism.
She was also the UK's first female darts presenter, covering major tournaments for ITV.
The BBC legend is an Ambassador for Women in Football and was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours in 2016 for services to broadcasting and diversity in sport.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Leader Live
3 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Marcus Rashford among five players to tell Manchester United they want to leave
It is understood Rashford, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia have all informed United they see their futures lying elsewhere. United have responded by delaying their scheduled return for pre-season training until the end of July to allow them time to find new clubs. Should none of the players secure a new deal elsewhere before the end of the month, they will be welcomed back to Carrington, where they will continue to have full access to medical and training support. PA also understands summer signing Matheus Cunha will be given the number 10 shirt, which had been worn by Rashford, for next season and United have informed the England international's representatives of the decision. Rashford scored four goals in 17 appearances during his time at Villa Park, but the Midlands club decided not to activate the £40million option to buy him. The 27-year-old, who fell out of favour at United under head coach Ruben Amorim, is reportedly keen on a move to Barcelona and does not want a move to London, ruling out the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. There is also reported interest from Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia for the player, who has scored 17 goals in 62 appearances for England. Garnacho, who made his first-team debut for United as a 17-year-old in 2022 after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2020, has scored 16 goals in 93 Premier League appearances. But his relationship with Amorim has also deteriorated after he vented his frustration on social media following his omission from United's starting line-up in their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. The Argentinian has been linked with both Chelsea and Italian champions Napoli. Antony failed to justify his huge price tag at Old Trafford after arriving from Ajax in an £82million deal in 2022, but he rediscovered top form after joining Real Betis on loan in January. Sancho has also endured a difficult spell at United following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund for £73m in 2021. His only appearance for United since his fall out with former boss Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2023 came in the 2024 Community Shield against Manchester City. After spending last season on loan at Chelsea, the Londoners opted to pay a £5m fine rather than sign Sancho permanently for £25m. He has been reported to have held talks with Juventus. Malacia, signed for £13m from Feyenoord in 2022, made three Premier League appearances for United last season before switching to PSV Eindhoven on loan.

Leader Live
4 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Wimbledon diary: Portuguese tributes and champagne cork stops play
Jota was part of the Portuguese national squad and his compatriots were able to bend the all-white dress rules in SW19 to pay tribute to the 28-year-old. Cabral said: 'I asked for permission to use the black ribbon and they let me play with it. 'It was an honour – it was not for the best reason. He was an inspiration not only for me but for the country in general.' ***** In one of those 'could only happen at Wimbledon' moments, Amanda Anisimova was interrupted by the popping of a champagne cork during her third-round win on Court Three. 'It's the most #Wimbledon warning you've ever heard' 😂 It's been popping off at the tennis today 🍾 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 4, 2025 The American was visibly annoyed and the umpire had to remind fans about their etiquette when players are about to serve. Afterwards, the 13th seed said: 'It kept happening. At some point I was, like, 'Can everybody just do it on the changeover?' 'It was a bit rowdy on that court, too, because you could hear everyone on the sides that are, like, outside of the court. It was definitely a bit distracting.' ***** Heavyweight British boxer Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn were present in the Royal Box on Friday, joined by former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker. Dame Mary Berry, previously of The Great British Bake Off, was in attendance, and so too was Irish actress and writer Sharon Horgan, star of Bad Sisters and co-creator of Motherland. Astronaut Major Tim Peake was another guest, with physicist and musician Brian Cox taking a seat alongside chef Marcus Wareing. ***** 'I think every tennis player talks to themselves. That's why we're all kind of crazy.' – Naomi Osaka on her inner dialogue during her third-round loss to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Both were born in Belgrade, with the 25-year-old Kecmanovic playing at the tournament for the fourth time and trying to better the third-round finish he achieved in both 2022 and 2024. Djokovic knocked out his Davis Cup teammate the last time they met – in SW19 three years ago – and has won all three meetings. And with Djokovic stating that this tournament is likely to be his best chance of gaining the grand slam title he needs to surpass Margaret Court's all-time record, Kecmanovic will require an inspired display to be the last Serb standing. Overcast with highs of 22C, according to the Met Office.


Scottish Sun
9 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Kyle Walker undergoing medical at Burnley with England star set to complete shock £5m transfer
Walk in the park Kyle Walker undergoing medical at Burnley with England star set to complete shock £5m transfer KYLE WALKER is closing in on a stunning transfer to Burnley, according to reports. The England star is currently undergoing a medical with the newly-promoted Premier League club ahead of a permanent move. Advertisement 1 Kyle Walker is undergoing a medical with Burnley Credit: Getty Walker spent the second half of last season on loan with Serie A giants AC Milan after falling down the pecking order at Manchester City. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.