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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
16 Sky Sports stars who have left since 2020 as eight more departures confirmed
Sky Sports has seen a bit of a shake-up over the last five years, with a number of presenters, pundits and journalists alike leaving the broadcaster - from household names to behind the scenes staff Sky Sports News has axed seven stars as part of a major shake-up, with a number of famous faces out of a job this summer. The reporters and presenters who faced a moving-on process were informed of the broadcaster's decision in May, with Sky Sports claiming that it came as a creative decision rather than a cost-cutting tactic. Originally launched in 1998, Sky Sports News has become synonymous with around-the-clock news coverage since its inception, but in a digital age, the organisation looks to enhance coverage across a number of platforms as it moves away from what was once strictly a product for television. Speaking to the Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Sky Sports News last month said: "We've shared proposals with the Sky Sports News team to change how we're structured, aimed at making us more agile and better equipped to serve audiences across TV, digital and social. A small number of roles are impacted, and we are now entering a period of consultation with those colleagues." On top of the seven fresh cuts, it is also said that a presenter of 16 years is set to walk away from Sky Sports News this summer, bringing the total number of those moving on to eight. But who are the eight stars who are set to leave the organisation? And who else has left the programme in the past five years? Here Mirror Football breaks it down... Eight familiar faces to leave in fresh wave Paul Gilmore announced last month that he is set to leave the broadcaster after a 16-year stint as a presenter, where he has been instrumental in Sky Sports' transfer coverage. Taking to social media to announce his exit, he wrote: "After 16 brilliant years in N Ireland/London with @SkySportsNews, it's time to leave. "Was proud & grateful to cover major finals, tournaments, 25 Deadline Days, domestic games & become a PL commentator. Thank you to everyone I've worked with over the years. It's been a pleasure." Unlike Gilmore, however, seven other names have been moved on as the broadcasters undergoes a major revamp. Presenter Rob Wotton gave his final farewell during a live appearance late last month, while Melissa Reddy - who has been at the heart of some of Sky's top Premier League stories since joining the team three years ago was also let go. Elsewhere, Teddy Draper and Jasper Taylor are also leaving the channel this summer, after 18 and 11-year stints with Sky, while Jeremy Langdon is also set to end a 20-year association with the organisation. Meanwhile, Senior reporter Fadumo Okow and a news editor will also leave their roles, it is understood. A Soccer Saturday shake-up Jeff Stelling made national headlines when his 29-year hosting duties at Soccer Saturday came to a close at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season. The Hartlepool-born presenter had been part and parcel of the programme since 1994, the 70-year-old later revealed that his decision came due to the toll his role was taking on his health. Speaking to the Guardian about his exit, Stelling said: "Even though I'd been there a long time, I felt some of my views weren't considered at all. Every week I was fighting a battle. I got tired of fighting and it was making me ill. Eventually, I went to Sky's management and said, 'This is making me unwell. I've got to step away from it.'" He added: "I'm almost ashamed to say it because my dad worked in a steelworks and would come back from his shift covered in grime and muck and absolutely exhausted. He would never have allowed me to say I was shattered after a TV show. But I felt it was making me ill so I had to step away." And while Stelling's departure came as a huge surprise to Soccer Saturday fans up and down the country, it pales compared to the shock decision of Sky Sports axing Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas three years earlier. A statement from Sky Sports at the time said: "We are changing some parts of our football coverage. Matt, Charlie and Phil have done a great job for us over the years, and they will leave us with our sincere thanks and very best wishes." Elsewhere, pundit of 20 years, Tony Cottee was also let go by Sky Sports in 2021, adding to the Soccer Saturday shake-up. Other notable pundits who have come and gone Elsewhere, a whole host of presenters and pundits have left the programme over the past five years. Graeme Souness parted ways with the company back in 2023 after an incredible 15-year career as a pundit following his playing and managerial days, saying at the time: "I was given an opportunity to do this and it was magnificent. "It has just been the most fantastic time for me. I love football, l care about football and l worry about it going forward, but in Sky's hands it is in good hands, it is in safe hands." Bianca Westwood also left Sky Sports the same year, saying on social media: "I haven't quite made enough money to retire unfortunately, but I am retiring from Sky Sports & Soccer Saturday. It's been a phenomenal 22 & a half years & I've been a small part of building the channel into the giant of broadcasting it is today. What a ride! "Being the first female match reporter on Soccer Saturday is something I'm immensely proud of & that can never be taken away from me. I've covered hundreds & hundreds of games, I've interviewed hundreds of players & managers. I've watched hours & hours of football. Years of experience (I said what I said!) that will live with me forever. "For the most part, it's been a blast. I'm grateful to you the viewers for watching over the years & for all your support. To those I've worked with who've been a big part of my life at Sky, you know who you are, thanks for the memories. On to the next chapter. Buzzing for it." Meanwhile, Dickie Davis also left the broadcaster in 2023 after almost 30 years with the organisation. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jeff Stelling's sad reason he quit Soccer Saturday and angry call over sackings
Jeff Stelling explained his reason for leaving Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season, as well as the anger he felt after hearing his pals were being sacked Jeff Stelling opened up on how he left Sky Sports ' Soccer Saturday due to the toll it was taking on his physical health. The 70-year-old presenter, who enjoyed a quarter of a century hosting the football score updates show, ultimately parted ways with Sky Sports at the end of the 2022/23 Premier League season. While fans across the UK were devastated to hear that he was stepping away from the job he had become synonymous with, the choice wasn't one that Stelling made lightly. Speaking on his reasoning in January last year, the Hartlepool-born presenter told The Guardian: "Even though I'd been there a long time, I felt some of my views weren't considered at all. "Every week I was fighting a battle. I got tired of fighting and it was making me ill. Eventually, I went to Sky's management and said, 'This is making me unwell. I've got to step away from it.'" He added: "I'm almost ashamed to say it because my dad worked in a steelworks and would come back from his shift covered in grime and muck and absolutely exhausted. "He would never have allowed me to say I was shattered after a TV show. But I felt it was making me ill so I had to step away." Stelling's relationship with Sky had deteriorated, however, prior to his exit after he was left fuming at some major changes to Soccer Saturday – primarily those made in 2020 when a number of his close colleagues were let go from the show. Sky chiefs decided that it was time for the likes of Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson to move on, and Stelling was ultimately left heartbroken to hear that he would no longer be working alongside them. In his 'Saturday Afternoon Fever' autobiography, Stelling explained how he was told the news that his colleagues were being let go, while he and Paul Merson were spared. He wrote: "'How can it be the right time?' I blurted out. 'The season gets underway in a couple of weeks and you have sacked three of our team!' "It's like Man City selling [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Ilkay] Gundogan and [Bernardo] Silva two weeks before kick-off, their entire midfield, their engine room. And we have no one to replace them with. "Gary insisted it was the right time and that they had people who could step into the biggest of broadcasting shoes and proceeded to reel off a list of people. After each name I made a quick-fire judgement. 'No good.' 'Terminally dull.' 'Doesn't even like football.' 'Oh, for f*** sake.' That gives you the general tone. "I was devastated, and as Gary listed the names of potential replacements, I knew I had a decision to make too about my future. Matt Roberts, the Soccer Saturday producer, rang. "He had just been told of the bloodletting and was equally shocked. He was the man who had to rebuild the team – and quickly. Even Sir Alex [Ferguson] would have struggled." Following the shake-up, Clinton Morrison, Michael Dawson, Sue Smith, Kris Boyd and Tim Sherwood were among those Sky Sports drafted in to revamp Soccer Saturday – but Stelling had his doubts. The presenter initially shared his desire to walk away in 2022, but agreed to stay on for one more season. Simon Thomas was named as the new host of Soccer Saturday after Stelling's exit, and the Hartlepool United fan has since gone on to work with talkSPORT as a radio host alongside Ally McCoist.
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Shearer's relationship with daughter's boyfriend after he called him out
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer appears to have a good relationship with both his daughters' partners, even if he publicly called one of them out for an embarrassing mistake Rugby star Micky Young appears to be in the good books of his daughter's famous father, Alan Shearer, despite being called out by the Newcastle legend. The 36-year-old, who now plays for Gloucester Rugby after more than a decade with Newcastle Falcons over two spells, has been dating Shearer's oldest daughter, Chloe, for some time. Young is embedded with the Shearers and features in numerous family pictures on social media. The Hartlepool-born scrum-half made the effort to travel to London to cheer on Shearer's son, Will, at the recent London Marathon, even if he took a scenic route to get there after an embarrassing train station blunder, having attended a Newcastle football match. Shearer couldn't help but regale the story on The Rest is Football podcast with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards. The Match of Day pundit and former England striker explained: "He was meant to get on the 5.59pm train from Newcastle to London to come and watch and support Will, as we all were down here. "He got there five minutes early, and then he got on the train. Then, [after] 15 minutes on the train, he heard the announcement, 'Welcome to everyone who's got on this train to Edinburgh.' And it was non-stop all the way to Edinburgh! He's had to go from Newcastle to Edinburgh, and that's the last train he could get on." To Young's credit, he didn't write off getting to London, catching an overnight bus from one capital city to another. Shearer added: 'He looked at different modes of transport, flight, car. 'He got on the f***ing Megabus, the 10pm Megabus, which costs him £30 from Edinburgh to London and he got in at 6.45am this morning into London. So I said to him, 'You are meant to be looking after my f****** daughter in the future!'" As Lineker and Richards praised Young for making such an effort, Shearer quipped: "He said he stopped at Dunbar, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield. I said, 'Oh, you idiot!'" While Young is unlikely to hear the end of the incident anytime soon, he has clearly formed a strong bond with his beau's dad. He is currently in the midst of his Newcastle Falcons testimonial year, which is supporting the Alan Shearer Foundation, which supports the lives of people with a wide range of complex needs, and the My Name's Doddie Foundation, an MND charity in the name of late Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir. A recent Pre-Lions Dinner, organised by Young's testimonial committee, raised funds for both charities. The Shearer Foundation expressed its thanks on social media, posting: 'Thank you Micky Young for choosing The Alan Shearer Foundation along with the My Name is Doddie Foundation as your chosen charities to support during your testimonial year!' Earlier this year, Young shared a picture from the Alan Shearer Foundation ball and wrote: 'We had a great night at the ASF ball on Saturday…we're proud to be supporting the Alan Shearer Foundation as one of our chosen charities throughout the testimonial year.' The picture featured Young, Chloe, Alan, his wife Lainya, Will and the Shearers' other daughter, Hollie, with her fiancé, Joe Marchant, who also happens to be a rugby player. Marchant, who has been with Hollie for more than three years, also seems to have the approval of her England legend dad, who once quipped on social media: 'I'm just glad he's not a footballer!'
Wales Online
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Mark Williams' staggering net worth and wife's public admission about their marriage
Mark Williams' staggering net worth and wife's public admission about their marriage Mark Williams could hugely increase his net worth in the coming days. Mark Williams has a supportive family behind him. (Image: (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) ) Welshman Mark Williams will become the oldest semi-finalist at the Snooker World Championships since 1985. The 50-year-old defeated John Higgins 13-12 at the Crucible in a tight contest which was tied at eight-all over night. Williams managed to nail a hugely important blue pot which he described as "probably one of my best shots in years". He is now two wins away from his first world title since 2018. The man from Cwm has set himself up for a semi-final match with world number one Judd Trump. The latter booked his place in the final four with a victory over 2023's champion Luca Brecel. Elsewhere, Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Zhao Xintong. Williams v Trump will be a rematch of the 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters final, where Trump took home a 10-9 victory and a £500,000 cash prize. This year's match up will take place at 7pm on Thursday, May 1. Welshman Williams has been struggling with an eye issue lately, and will eventually require surgery. Despite his fine form at the Crucible, he has revealed to the BBC that his eyesight has deteriorated to the point where he sometimes sees "three of four balls at a time". He has planned an operation to fix this issue, but he is now considering cancelling it to accommodate for his recent run of form in Sheffield. "I've got a big decision to make now, do I cancel my op? I don't know," he said. "I haven't played with glasses yet, that was my next step. I tried contacts, struggled with them. Looks like I'm still doing all right, half blind." Article continues below Thanks to his success over the years, Williams has earned himself a staggering amount of money. Across his superb career in the sport, he has earned £7.1million, according to To put that figure into context, just for finishing second at the Saudi Arabia Masters last year, he earned £200,000. According to OLBG, he earned £438,500 in the 2023/2024 season. If he goes on to win the tournament on Monday, he will pick up £500,000 in prize money. Williams' wife Joanne is a successful entrepreneur, and they have been married since 2011. She has a business called Maximum Travel, which she started in 2019. They have three sons together - Conor, Kian and Joel. Despite being the wife of a sporting star, she keeps a relatively low profile on social media. She admitted that their marriage "shouldn't have worked" but they proved people wrong. Article continues below Back in March, the couple celebrated 25 years together, with the Hartlepool-born businesswoman saying: "An English girl, a Welsh boy working on different sides of the world, it shouldn't have worked but we proved them wrong." Joanne was outraged in 2019 after the video game Snooker 2019 left her husband off the cover, and he was the world champion at the time. She labelled World Snooker's decision to leave him out as "massive prejudice" and suggested it could be because he's Welsh. The video game account responded: "There are 128 players in the game and only space for four on the cover. We were never going to be able to please everyone so we worked with World Snooker to make the tough decision." She wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "Snooker in general doesn't get the praise deserved and is constantly overlooked at the SPOTY awards. How do they expect others to respect the game when they don't even support their own World Champion #baffled."
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
They have no idea who Kelsey Grammer is, but they want to stop him destroying a 200-year-old cottage
Set opposite a freshly tilled field of red earth, Squires Cottage sits quietly against the expanse of the Bristol Channel, as it has every day for nearly 200 years. Its red tiles colour-match with the soil here in the ancient village of Walton-in-Gordano, just outside the port town of Portishead, near Bristol. Its pinkish stone merges with the still-bare hedgerows. Apart from the luminous splash of primroses on its lawn, seeded and spread over decades, it blends seamlessly with its landscape on this narrow coastal road as if to say 'nothing to see here'. And indeed very soon there won't be – at least, you won't see unassuming Squires Cottage anymore. Because 'the American' is in town, and he has bigger plans for this nook of quintessential rural England. 'Prior Notification of Demolition Works' reads the crumpled notice on the worn wooden gatepost with Forget-Me-Nots at its base. 'Site to be cleared, levelled, and made good'. The American, as he's repeatedly referred to in these parts, is actor Kelsey Grammer, 70, the A-list star of sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. Along with his Hartlepool-born wife, Kayte Walsh, 46, who he met on a transatlantic flight when she worked as an air stewardess, he has bought Squires Cottage, one of few remaining buildings here which features on the 1840s tithe map of north Somerset. Last year he applied to extend it by nearly 150 per cent (50 per cent is the usual 'rule of thumb'). After this was refused, in February he applied to flatten it completely. It is not a listed building and now north Somerset council has confirmed this can go ahead, stating 'prior approval is not required'. He can demolish it to make way for an entirely new home, reportedly complete with a gym and games room. One of few conditions is the demolition must be carried out 'on or before 12 February 2030'. Stardust will soon become very real indeed – and waft through his neighbours' gardens. 'He's the TV star from Friends?' queries retiree Philip Hawkesby, who's lived just off this grass verged coastal road for nearly 20 years. 'I knew it started with an 'F',' he adds with a shrug. He's stunned about the cottage, his usually level Bristolian twang rising. 'It's beautiful, there's nothing wrong with it,' he says. 'If it was derelict I could understand it.' He adds: 'If he wants to do something, keep the facade and do a new build inside… I'd hate for him to build a brand new house of glass and steel, because that would be completely out of character.' Hawkesby bought his own new-build on a development sloping towards the water for the view, but would have loved a period property. There aren't many remaining. 'You'd think he'd have a bit more respect for the area that he's moved into, it's a lovely looking cottage.' He adds: 'We should be looking after old buildings like that, even if they're not listed. Our local council should be looking at buildings like that and coming up with another solution.' He believes they should have worked harder to allow a sensitive extension. 'I think this is a wrong decision,' he says. Others don't pick their words so carefully. Further along the road, outside his bungalow built on the hill behind which slopes towards Walton Bay, Jeff, 76, is straight to the point. 'Bloody cheek,' he says. 'It's a disgrace.' He leans on his fence and gazes across the water to hazy Newport in the distance. 'Come over, plonk yourself down, knock the place down, build an eyesore and then disappear back off to America for nine months,' he speculates. 'There's loads of new properties for sale if he wants a new property. Why do you want to get rid of that history?' The fact the demolition of this 'coastal road treasure', as it's described by the parish council, can proceed is particularly confusing given Grammer's previous application to extend was refused. He first requested to demolish only the garage, carport and existing modern extensions on the cottage, creating a huge new two-storey extension and basement level. Reasons for refusal stressed the cottage's historic and cultural importance. 'Squires Cottage is a non-designated heritage asset that is recorded on the North Somerset Historic Environment Record, which means it is a historic building of local significance,' the report reads. A conservation and heritage officer added the cottage, which used to sit in thick heathland, 'represents a vernacular built from possibly local stone with additional red clay roof tiles' with parts predating 1840. 'The significance of the property… is important within the landscape as it reflects the traditions and rural history of it,' explained the council. It added the size of the build would 'unacceptably harm the openness of the Green Belt…' as well as 'unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the dwelling and its place in the local landscape.' So why, many now ask, is it suddenly okay to flatten it? Although it needs restoration it has charm in abundance, its cosy terracotta chimney pots and sleepy window lintels a calming contrast to the fast country lane traffic outside. Simon Rix, senior planning permission consultant at Planix UK, explains it's simply down to procedure. 'The extension and the demolition are considered under different processes,' he says. 'The application for the extension was a standard planning application, which the council assessed based on its planning policies and ultimately refused. In contrast, the demolition falls under a different process called 'prior approval', which is often a more streamlined process and, in some cases, not required at all.' He adds: 'In this instance, the council determined prior approval wasn't needed for the demolition. That's generally the case unless the building is listed, within a conservation area, or there are specific protections in place, such as environmental concerns.' But although procedure has been followed, comments on the council's planning portal reveal more anger at it being 'razed to the ground'. 'If we do not value our architectural heritage such as this, then what stands in the way of unscrupulous developers and apathetic bureaucrats?' reads one. 'The cottage should be cherished not swept aside,' it continues, adding: 'the overt and callous submission to demolish, having been refused planning permission to expand, only serves to publicise the arrogant forces at play and their disregard for NSC [north Somerset counil] decision-making. I urge the decision makers to take a stand against these behaviours, in a time where bullying and bluster is commonplace on the world stage.' Not all immediate neighbours are concerned though. There are detached properties scattered along the road, set back from the verge. Most are newer builds after the owners knocked down bungalows or chalets that existed before. A number are contemporary. Squires Cottage sits next to some dramatic architecture including three slanted black roof tops like ski slopes. A few doors up, Louie Bracey, 75, opted to build his new home in 2009 in a cottage-style, however. And even then came up against planners, so he has some sympathy with Grammer. 'It took me 18 months fighting with the council to build this,' he says, pottering in the garden. 'I prefer olde world things, but it's personal. It's an old cottage, damp, not economical to heat and run. Personally I would rather it was kept in the traditional style, but that would suit me.' He adds of Grammer: 'Somebody told me he's quite famous. I don't care as long as he keeps his garden tidy.' In a BBC interview in 2023, Grammer revealed he loved his time in Portishead with his wife's family and was going to refurbish a home there. 'We bought a little place we're going to be working on,' he said. 'We won't be taking up residence for a while but, yeah, we're pretty excited about it.' Lunching at The Ship pub, Jon Jones, 63, admits he knows Grammer's son-in-law, and has met Grammer himself on one of his visits, in another Portishead pub. 'He sang there once at an open mic night.' He admits he can't see the 'rationale' for pulling down the cottage.'There's plenty of other places around here,' he says. 'It's a shame. It adds something to that coastal road. We haven't got many old buildings left in Portishead, every one is quite valuable. It's a bit of history getting erased.' Landlord Vic Long, 81, who built his pub back in 1973, is 'sitting on the fence', but can't help confessing his disappointment. 'It would have been nice if it remained as one of the last cottages around,' he says. He's unlikely to recognise Grammer if he pops in for a pint, though. 'Never heard of him,' he grins. Grammer has been contacted for comment Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
