Latest news with #TonySquires
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
TV host Tony Squires chokes back tears as he farewells viewers after his star-studded Back Page sports show was axed after almost 30 YEARS
Frustrated sports fans across Australia want answers after The Back Page screened for the final time on Tuesday night. The popular show was axed earlier this month after 29 years on the air, with Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley declaring, 'Everything has a lifespan.' In emotional scenes, host Tony Squires choked back tears as he thanked viewers for their loyalty across almost three decades. 'I am not going to lie, it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight, but go we must,' Squires began on show number 481. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. 'And so from everyone at The Back Page, goodbye.' It didn't long for sports enthusiasts to vent their frustration online. 'One of the best shows on TV. Watched every Tuesday. Bizarre decision to end it,' said one on X. 'Devastated. Great show that still had fuel in the tank, in my opinion,' posted another. 'Couldn't care less about all the endless NRL and AFL shows they have on. This is the type of show there should be more of, and they (Fox Sports) are getting rid of it,' added a third. Before Squires assumed hosting duties in March of 2013, the late Mike Gibson was the man in the hot seat, working closely with Billy Birmingham and famed reporter Peter Frilingos. Regular recent contributors have included Ironwoman champion Candice Warner, radio identity Ryan Fitzgerald and veteran News Corp sports journalist Robert 'Crash' Craddock. Some of the high profile guests over the years include legendary boxer Mike Tyson, three-time Olympic gold medallist Jessica Fox and rising athletics star Gout Gout.
Courier-Mail
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
The Back Page: Fans say same thing as beloved TV show wraps up after 29-years on air
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Fans are up in arms after beloved long-running sports program 'The Back Page' had its final ever episode on Tuesday night. Earlier this month it was revealed that the popular sports show had been axed after 29 years. But in that time it had become a staple of many households' Tuesday night schedules and viewers were understandably emotional after the final episode concluded just after 8.30pm AEDT. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. In those 29 years, Australia has had eight Prime Ministers and nine Test cricket captains, yet the iconic sports program has only ever had two hosts, Mike Gibson and Tony Squires, as the show beamed into households around the country on Tuesday nights since 1997. And on Tuesday, an emotional Squires signed off for the final time as he admitted he doesn't want the show to end but that is the decision that has been made and therefore he and the entire cast must accept. 'I am not going to lie it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight but go we must,' Squires began. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. You can watch Squire's full The Back Page farewell in the player above. Tony Squires signs off for final time. Image: Kayo 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. ' … And so from everyone at The Back Page goodbye.' Immediately after signing off social media was flooded with tributes for the beloved show as many fans voiced their displeasure at the decision to dump The Back Page. 'Seriously why in the hell is this show ending??' one loyal fan of the show wrote on X. 'I hate it when good TV shows end. Farewell 'The Back Page', what an incredible run,' another added. 'I can't believe Fox Sports has decided to end The Back Page. TBP is one of the all-time great sport shows,' a third wrote. While others said 'Shame Back Page is going. Why do all the good shows end' and 'One of the shows I've watched every week is the back page. I'm truly sad it's ending'. The Back Page has welcomed more than 500 special guests (pictured Gout Gout appearing on the show last month). Image: Fox Sports Announcing the news earlier this month Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley said the decision to axe 'The Back Page' was not due to cost cutting, instead, the company believed it was time to move in another direction. 'At Fox Sports, we have introduced a number of new shows in recent times and we have more in final planning,' he said. 'The Back Page has been entertaining audiences for nearly three decades; there are very few shows that can claim that. 'Entertainment programming is a tough business in that it's like life itself, how everything has a lifespan. Even the great shows like 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' and 'The Back Page'. 'In a big country with different codes of football and unique tastes, it's extremely rare for a sports show to survive, let alone for almost 30 years.' Originally published as Fans say same thing as beloved TV show The Back Page wraps up after 29-years on air
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Fans say same thing as beloved TV show The Back Page wraps up after 29-years on air
Fans are up in arms after beloved long-running sports program 'The Back Page' had its final ever episode on Tuesday night. Earlier this month it was revealed that the popular sports show had been axed after 29 years. But in that time it had become a staple of many households' Tuesday night schedules and viewers were understandably emotional after the final episode concluded just after 8.30pm AEDT. In those 29 years, Australia has had eight Prime Ministers and nine Test cricket captains, yet the iconic sports program has only ever had two hosts, Mike Gibson and Tony Squires, as the show beamed into households around the country on Tuesday nights since 1997. And on Tuesday, an emotional Squires signed off for the final time as he admitted he doesn't want the show to end but that is the decision that has been made and therefore he and the entire cast must accept. 'I am not going to lie it's going to be really hard to walk out tonight but go we must,' Squires began. 'We've been around a long time. Thank you for letting us into your lives for that stretch. 'Thank you to the more than 500 people who have taken a seat on the panel or as a guest. Thank you to sport for being the best live unscripted theatre. You can watch Squire's full The Back Page farewell in the player above. 'Thank you to anyone who has celebrated victory prematurely and five-putted and recorded it. Thank you so much for doing that. ' … And so from everyone at The Back Page goodbye.' Immediately after signing off social media was flooded with tributes for the beloved show as many fans voiced their displeasure at the decision to dump The Back Page. 'Seriously why in the hell is this show ending??' one loyal fan of the show wrote on X. 'I hate it when good TV shows end. Farewell 'The Back Page', what an incredible run,' another added. 'I can't believe Fox Sports has decided to end The Back Page. TBP is one of the all-time great sport shows,' a third wrote. While others said 'Shame Back Page is going. Why do all the good shows end' and 'One of the shows I've watched every week is the back page. I'm truly sad it's ending'. Announcing the news earlier this month Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley said the decision to axe 'The Back Page' was not due to cost cutting, instead, the company believed it was time to move in another direction. 'At Fox Sports, we have introduced a number of new shows in recent times and we have more in final planning,' he said. 'The Back Page has been entertaining audiences for nearly three decades; there are very few shows that can claim that. 'Entertainment programming is a tough business in that it's like life itself, how everything has a lifespan. Even the great shows like 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' and 'The Back Page'. 'In a big country with different codes of football and unique tastes, it's extremely rare for a sports show to survive, let alone for almost 30 years.'
News.com.au
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Tony Squires signs off for final time as The Back Page axed
Beloved Australian host Tony Squires got emotional as The Back Page's final episode wrapped up on Tuesday night.
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
The Back Page: Australia's longest running sports show finishes after 29-year run on Fox Sports
I've only ever spoken to Kevin Sheedy twice but he lives inside my head. He's been there for 12 years since the night on Fox Sports' The Back Page when we showed a comical clip of an angry Sheedy addressing his young Greater Western Sydney side mid-match. What made it so funny was that Sheedy emphasised random WORDS at random POINTS and not NECESSARILY the RIGHT moments to provide golden fodder for panellist and master mimic Billy Birmingham who was in his ELEMENT. All these years later when someone mentions Sheedy's name, I still hear Billy going off in one of the many endearing moments from the show which finishes its 29-year run with its final episode at 7.30pm Tuesday. What better way to kick off our 'Back Page Memories' than reliving this rousing speech from Kevin Sheedy. The reaction from Gibbo, Billy, Crash and Marto is pure gold! 😆 #TheBackPage | #BackPageMemories @FOXSportsAUS @craddock_cmail @MattParslow1 â€' Best Bits of The Back Page (@backpagebestof) June 8, 2025 Twenty nine years. Among the few shows to last longer were Play School (58 years) and Here's Humphrey (45) and there is a theory among Back Page panellists that we accidentally put both out of business by stealing their audience. In that 29-year period Australia has had eight Prime Ministers and nine Test cricket captains, yet the little ol' Back Page – incredibly – has had just two main hosts, the legendary Mike Gibson and the equally talented Tony Squires. Born in early 1997, three months before the first appearance of Harry Potter, the Back Page now joins Harry in flying off into the sunset with Squires and co-host Candice Warner joined for the last show by Ryan Fitzgerald, vivacious former host Kelli Underwood who has been lured back for a cameo farewell, and myself. The team have dug through the archives to find the #Top5 embarrassing cramp moments in sport! #TheBackPage | @FOXSportsAUS â€' Best Bits of The Back Page (@backpagebestof) May 18, 2025 The 29-year run says everything about Gibbo and Squires' love of their show with Squires saying 'Gibbo felt the show was at its best when it felt like people talking in a pub and it became a big part of my social life talking to interesting people like Kelli, Candice, Brad Johnson, Kerry O'Keeffe and Ben Dixon''. Both Gibbo and Squires loathed missing an episode. Gibbo, ably supported by likes of Peter FitzSimons and the late Peter Frilingos, did 720 shows over 16 years and missed just one when he was lying flat out with a back injury. The only way they could have shot the show was with a camera on the ceiling, a stretch too far even for Gibbo. For the panelists like myself, the Back Page was the best fun of our careers. When soccer legend Robbie Slater was told that due to budget restrictions panelists may have to take a pay cut and he replied 'hey ... I'd go on for nothing ... I just enjoy it''. A few years back a former Test cricket great flew over from Perth and did an episode he so enjoyed it he didn't even put in an invoice to get paid. We were fortunate to see the late, great Andrew Symonds on the panel a few times over the years - Roy even treated us to a couple of his brilliant impersonations! #TheBackPage | #BackPageMemories @FOXSportsAUS @craddock_cmail @FitzySA @MattParslow1 â€' Best Bits of The Back Page (@backpagebestof) June 16, 2025 You never knew who was watching. Shane Warne used to tune in. Greg Chappell watched from Adelaide. Allan Langer when he was living up at Caloundra. Cricketer Ben Cutting once told me he would watch from the United Arab Emirates. They were joined by a couple of sheep farmers in the deep south of New Zealand who would send random tweets to the show aired at 9.30pm Kiwi time. One time Mark Bosnich, a long serving and popular panellist, came on and told a colourful story about a night of cross-dressing with fellow soccer star Dwight Yorke. The next day I went to Brisbane Broncos training where Andrew McCullough, a poker faced country boy who rarely shows excitement, was lined up in front of a bank of cameras for the daily press conference and turned his head towards me and said 'hey, before we start, what about Bozza last night ... I mean ... wow''. The team have dug through the archives to find the #Top5 embarrassing cramp moments in sport! #TheBackPage | @FOXSportsAUS â€' Best Bits of The Back Page (@backpagebestof) May 18, 2025 Outstanding producer Matt Parslow is widely lauded within the industry as the show's secret hero for his ability to find rare footage of sport's hidden heroes, villains and comical stumbles. In February 2017, when Kerry O'Keeffe was having a break from television, Squires sent O'Keeffe a text inviting him to come on as a guest. O'Keeffe replied 'my used-by date said best before February, 2017'' and Squires sent back 'that's ok, I like my meat a little gamey'' and on he came with a standout performance that caught the eye of Fox cricket producers and played a role in O'Keeffe joining the summer coverage where he shines annually as the game's best researched and most unique voice. Kerry O'Keeffe has been a huge part of the show over the last decade. Here's one of our favourite Skull yarns on the day he met the Queen! ðŸ'€ #TheBackPage | #BackPageMemories @FOXSportsAUS @kokeeffe49 @craddock_cmail @MattParslow1 â€' Best Bits of The Back Page (@backpagebestof) June 8, 2025 The show was at it's best when it was at its quirkiest, as proved by the fact that the highest rating Back Page ever did not come after a Test match or a State of Origin game but when Iceland – population 340,000 and at its first major tournament – beat England 1-0 at the 2016 European championships. The sports world was stunned. People could not work it out. How could this happen? They turned to us for answers. Did we provide them? Ah, well ... sort of. Some mysteries simply defy explanation, not that it stopped us slapping down some emphatic theories about the secret sauces of Iceland soccer. Kevin Sheedy eat your heart out!
