BBC sports host on presenters who ‘always use an autocue’ and still win awards
SHE has been a trailblazer in sports broadcasting for 25 years, but Gabby Logan's ultimate goal is to see live TV hosts receive the recognition they deserve.
The presenter, currently leading the BBC’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup, has been nominated for a presenting gong just once at the National Television Awards.
Now she has had a pop at the industry honours, which appear to snub stars outside of shiny Saturday night telly.
Gabby said: “The winning presenters are always really great people.
“But there are never any sports broadcasters.
“Those light entertainment shows know what is going to happen through the whole piece.
“In sport, you start off and you don’t know what is going to happen in those few hours that we are on telly.
"We often don’t have autocues, everything is ad-libbed and done on the hoof, which scares the bejesus out of most other broadcasters.
“A lot of sport broadcasters go into other areas as live TV is what we do.
"Other areas of TV are a little bit scared of live TV as it has all the problems that can come with it.”
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The industry is preparing for its annual honours, the NTAs, which take place on Tuesday, September 5 at The O2 in London.
In 2014, Gabby was longlisted at the NTAs for Entertainment Presenter.
Her BBC team led the Sport category in this year’s Bafta TV awards for their Uefa Women’s Euro 2022 output.
However, Gabby has won Sports Presenter of the Year at the Television and Radio Industries Club gongs four times — and loves the game.
Speaking at the Cambridge Union, she added: “We love the adrenaline buzz.
“I prefer it when something can go a little wrong which I can help solve.
“If it is all perfect, you don’t get that kick of adrenaline.”
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work, as revered philosopher Aristotle would say.
HUNKS ‘MUSCLE IN NOW’
HOLLYOAKS has produced its fair share of soap hunks – but James Redmond, who played Rory “Finn” Finnigan, says none compare to the show’s current stars.
James, who was in the soap from 1998 to 2002, returning briefly in 2015 and 2017, says actors like Owen Warner, who plays Romeo Nightingale, are “on another level”.
He told the Soap From The Box podcast: “I’m glad I was there before social media and before muscles!
“There was one or two of the guys who had muscles but the rest of us were quite skinny and didn’t use sunbeds.
“These guys today, they don’t drink, they’re in the gym every day, they bleach their teeth. Wow! We couldn’t have competed with them. It’s just another level now.”
Nonetheless, the rippling muscles of the current stars wouldn’t put James off from making a return to the Channel 4 programme.
He added: “I’d love to go back. He was such a great character to play.”
ALAN CUMMING will host a new Channel 4 show about life on the Royal Scotsman.
Scotland’s Most Luxurious Railway will see him travel on board the glamorous train, meeting its staff and guests.
Alan said: “I am a Royal Scotsman superfan and each trip I’ve taken aboard has been magical.”
PAN-AM PROBE IN FOCUS
THE BBC has partnered with Netflix to make a six-part drama on the Lockerbie bombing.
Pan Am flight 103 exploded over the small Scottish town, killing 270 people, when a bomb was detonated inside it in 1988.
The programme, which will air on the BBC, will focus on the investigation, taking viewers from the trial in 2000 to the most recent indictment in 2022.
Writer Jonathan Lee said: “The disaster and the global manhunt it spawned was a defining event in world history – one that contains so many instances of resilience and courage that deserve to be honoured and understood.”
MARK: I’M STRICTLY TERRIFIED
MARK WRIGHT had a scary time on his recent skydive – but he says it was still not as terrifying as his time on Strictly Come Dancing.
The former Towie star, his dad Mark Sr and brother Josh leapt out of a plane, went white water rafting and did bungee jumping for BBC One series A Wright Family Holiday.
The daredevil adventure came just months after he played for the England football side for Soccer Aid in June last year, live in front of the nation.
But the BBC’s hit dancing show got Mark’s heart racing faster when he appeared on it in 2014 with pro Karen Hauer, finishing fourth.
He told the Saving Grace podcast: “Doing that show is the most nerve-racking thing you will ever do.
“It’s worse than Soccer Aid in front of 60,000 people because you’re so nervous you’re going to forget your steps. I used to literally shake before I went out.
“I loved Strictly for the experience but I didn’t love it because I’m so competitive and I’m not that good at it so I had to train so many hours it took over my life.
“It is brilliant and you’re learning something to a level that you would never have the chance to do again.”
FRED: MY PALS JUST LIKE KIDS
FATHER-of-two Fred Sirieix felt like he had gained another two kids after filming Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip with Gino D’Acampo and Gordon Ramsay.
The First Dates star told The Times: “It was crazy for sure.
“They say if you are stupid you can be a chef and if you are really stupid you can be a maitre d’.
“I hope I showed this isn’t true. I was the parent of these crazy children. I was the responsible one.”
Fred travelled the globe for three series of the ITV show before it was called off this year due to “complications”.
He insists there is no bad blood between the trio.
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Fred added: “It just isn’t happening again. There is nothing more to say.
“Everyone is happy. It ended. C’est la vie.”