Sue Barker says BBC could have handled her Question of Sport exit better

By Lauren Morris

Published: Friday, 30 September 2022 at 12:00 am

Sue Barker has said that it’s “such a shame” how the BBC handled her exit from A Question of Sport, which she hosted from 1997 until last year.

Barker had previously spoken about being “sacked” from the role, revealing last month that she was “gobsmacked” over how the BBC dealt with the situation, leaving her “slightly damaged” by the experience.

In a new interview with the Evening Standard, Barker said that she was disappointed by the BBC asking her to say that she was “walking away” from the show.

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Sue Barker, Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell on A Question of Sport in 2019.
Vishal Sharma/BBC

“It is such a shame because, I have to say, that the BBC had told us we were going,” she said. “They wanted to refresh the programme and that is absolutely fine. Everyone has the right to do that. We don’t own the programme.

“I had had 24 amazing years working with the most incredible people. So we knew it was going to happen and it was just the way in which it happened and the way it was handled, and the way the BBC sort of wanted me to say that I was walking away from it.”

She added that she would “never walk away from a job [she] love[s]” and that while she didn’t mind being replaced, “it was just the way it was handled”.

“I think we regret the way it was handled,” she continued. “I think if we look back on it we could have handled it better. I think the BBC could have handled it better.

“It is just such a shame because I loved it. And I don’t look back on it badly just because of a couple of bad days and then some negative publicity, which I think affected quite a lot of people.”

Barker recently announced that she would be ending her 30 year BBC Sport career after covering Wimbledon 2022, adding that she felt that the time was right for her after working with “the best of the best”.

A Question of Sport returned last year with a new line-up of talent as Paddy McGuinness took over presenting duties, while Sam Quek and Ugo Monye became team captains.

RadioTimes.com has reached out to the BBC for comment.

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