The BBC’s annual Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony made its return in 2024, honouring the achievements of prominent figures in the world of sports.
The event kicked off with hosts Clare Balding, Alex Scott, and Gabby Logan receiving a warm welcome from the packed audience of enthusiasts and celebrities.
However, the all-female presenting lineup quickly drew criticism from viewers, who took to social media to express their discontent with the absence of male presenters. The backlash came despite the presenters’ extensive careers in sports broadcasting.
One critic tweeted: “#SPOTY no male presenters? What happened to the politically correct inclusively? Guess it only works one way.” Another disgruntled viewer wrote: “Time to turn over! Used to love this programme its absolutely sh*** now! “, reports the Express.
A third commentator slammed the BBC’s approach as “It wasn’t a lot of years ago that I’d never miss a minute of #SPOTY. Now I can’t stand to watch a minute of @BBCSport’s WOKEy approach. Total c***.”
A fourth detractor asked: “Whatever happened to males sports presenters? #BBC #SPOTY.” Despite the negative feedback, others defended the decision, including a fan who retorted: “SPOTY began in 1954, first female presenter was, I believe, Sue Barker in 1994 and now, in 2024, we have an all female presenting line up for the first time ever. Maybe you need a lie down.”
A sixth viewer chimed in: “They’ve had three men for decades. Loads of sports shows have been nothing but men for decades and yet as soon as it’s women it’s a problem? Women do quite a lot of sport.”
In addition to a new presenting line-up, the Sports Personality of the Year stirred things up with a significant schedule change. Continuing the precedent set in 2022, the event has retained its mid-week slot after moving away from its traditional Sunday evening broadcast on BBC, primarily to avoid clashing with the Qatar World Cup final that year. Since then, the event has found a new home on Tuesday evenings.
Team GB’s Keely Hodkingson was crowned the BBC Sports Personality of the Year during the show. The result meant heartbreak for fellow favourite Luke Littler, who finished as the runner-up at the glitzy event in MediaCity, Salford. The other nominated stars were footballer Jude Bellingham, triathlete Alex Yee, Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and cricketer Joe Root.