Trailblazing sports presenter Hazel Irvine has insisted Gary Lineker’s replacement on Match of the Day should be the best “person” for the job regardless of gender.
Irvine, 59, who received an Outstanding Contribution to Film & Television award at a BAFTA Scotland ceremony at the weekend, was one of the UK’s first ever female sports pundits, joining STV’s Scotsport in 1987.
The Scot said it was disappointing that ex-footballers such as Joey Barton used social media to criticise female football correspondents in this day and age and that there should be more women on TV.
Ruling herself out of becoming the next host of MoTD, she said whoever followed whoever takes over from Lineker, who has chaired Match of the Day since 1999, should be chosen regardless of whether they are male or female.
Barton has been an outspoken critic of women pundits in sport on his X account. In January, sports minister Stuart Andrew described Barton’s social media tirade against women working in the men’s game is “not acceptable” after the former Man City and Rangers footballer compared two female commentators and pundits to serial killers Fred and Rose West.
Hazel told The Record: “I’m not a big fan of social media and never have been.
“Attitudes change, some attitudes don’t and I think generally speaking that female faces in front of the camera and in production teams more generally reflect the general public and society and that’s surely as it should be.
“Scotland played quite a big part in this. It was Sally McNair who was the first woman to present a dedicated football programme on Scotsport before me.
Asked if she would like to be considered for the role, Hazel added: “I think that’s way outside my orbit.
“I think my days of doing football are long gone now though I enjoyed it at the time, but I do think the ‘best person’ for the job should be chairing Match of the Day and I’m sure they’ll come to the right decision.”
She made light of the fact that she faced outrageous sexism and misogyny when she started attending football matches in the 1980s.
Having collected her special BAFTA, she said: “For the first few years I spent my time avoiding questions about being a woman.
“On the terraces they were singing, ‘Hazel, Hazel, show us your notebooks’. At least I think that’s what they were singing.”
The presenter, who started her career with Radio Clyde in 1986, became one of the UK’s first ever female football pundits for STV’s Sportscene in 1987.
She has covered 18 Winter and Summer Olympics, golf coverage for 25 years, snooker for 23 years and Ski Sunday, for over a decade.
Hazel, whose credits also include four World Cup Finals beginning with Italia 90, the London Marathon, Grandstand, and Wimbledon, said of her BAFTA win: “I feel overwhelmed and honoured to join the list of Scottish actors, presenters, writers, directors, producers and Doctor Who’s who have received this award over the last two decades.”
Lineker is leaving his Match of the Day role after the Beeb failed to renew his contract.
A number of names have been backed to sit in the iconic chair. Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman immediately emerged as the favourite.
While he remains among the frontrunners, the BBC’s plan to appoint him has been hit with a blow. It was previously reported that there were plans for him to share the role with Kelly Sommers only for Chapman to express his desire not to go down that route.
Other names to have been linked with the role include Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Jason Mohammed. A further surprise name has also emerged over recent days with reports suggesting that TNT Sports anchor Reshmin Chowdhury is a contender.
Ahead of a new presenter being appointed, Lineker has already shared his advice. He said: “Obviously I don’t know who it’ll be, and I would never tell publicly my preference. I don’t think that’d be the right thing to do but whoever it is, I would say be yourself.”
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.