BBC TV icon to leave screens for good today as he says 'I'll go quietly'
BBC TV icon to leave screens for good today as he says 'I'll go quietly'
The legendary broadcaster is making a low-key departure from TV after over 50 years in the business
Steve Rider (right) is bowing out from TV this weekend
(Image:)
Legendary sports broadcaster Steve Rider will hang up his microphone for the final time today after over 50 years on screen.
The 75-year-old will bring the curtain down on his remarkable career as he fronts ITV4's coverage of the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park on Sunday afternoon, having held that role for the last 16 years. Rider is probably best known however for presenting the iconic BBC sports show Grandstand, while he covered everything from rugby and golf to rowing and motorsports during his time with the broadcaster.
He also presented Sportsnight and Sports Personality of the Year, as well as hosting the BBC's coverage of every Olympic Games between 1988 and 2004, before leaving the corporation in 2005.
He then joined ITV, where he presented coverage of Formula One, as well as the football and rugby World Cups, before moving on to the British Touring Car Championship.
While his remarkable and varied career saw him become one of the most recognisable and popular names in sport broadcasting, however, Rider will make a low-key departure from our screens - but it's one that suits him fine.
"God knows, I'll be very disappointed if Andrea Bocelli isn't here,' he joked in an interview with the Telegraph, before adding: 'I'll go quietly, don't worry.'
Article continues below
Earlier this year, Rider admitted he would "just sidle away" after presenting the Touring Car Championship for the final time.
"The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, 'For God's sake, don't c**k it up,' because you'd be thinking about that for the next 20 years," he told MailOnline.
"I've probably outstayed my welcome. I've been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. But it's close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing!"
The Dartford-born presenter's exit from TV comes over 18 months after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Rider had gone to get himself tested after one of his friends was diagnosed with the same cancer following a medical check, with his wife urging him to undergo further examinations after his readings came back "a little high" following his first check-up.
He then underwent "significant" surgery to prevent the disease from spreading and he admitted during an appearance on BBC Breakfast that he had been "incredibly lucky" as the cancer had been detected early.
"I was cutting it a bit fine," Rider said. "They took one look and said, 'We're going to operate in two weeks'. No mucking about.
"We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday, so it fitted into the schedule quite nicely!
'It was one operation, whip it all out, off you go and enjoy the rest of your life, second chance. But I was one of the lucky ones," he added, as he urged people to undergo checks for the disease.
"Get yourself tested because once this wretched thing develops, as we've been seeing from Chris Hoy and Eddie Jordan, it just gallops away and there's no control. The chance you have is early testing."
Ahead of Rider's retirement, an ITV statement read: "This Sunday, the legendary Steve Rider will present his final show before he retires following a stellar 45 years working for ITV and BBC.
"Steve began his career as a reporter at LBC before moving to Anglia Television. As he progressed through the ranks he went on to work on the Olympic Games, World Of Sport and BBC's Grandstand to name a few. He returned to ITV in 2005 and presented our Formula One coverage, the 2006 Football World Cup, the Champions League and the Rugby World Cup in 2011.
Article continues below
"More recently, the 75-year-old has been anchoring the British Touring Car Championship on ITV4. We wish Steve all the best in the future and thank him for all his dedication and hard work in a TV career spanning over 50 years on screen."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Legendary BBC presenter quietly bows out after almost 50 years of TV hosting
BBC and ITV sports presenting icon Steve Ryder gave his last broadcast on Sunday as he presented the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park for ITV4 Sports presenter Steve Ryder has announced his retirement from broadcasting after an impressive 48-year career. The 75-year-old covered major sporting fixtures for both the BBC and ITV over the course of his time on the air. On Sunday, the star was broadcasting from the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire when he revealed he would be hanging up his microphone. He was covering the event for ITV4 when he announced the news of his departure from the screen. A montage of clips was then shared showing drivers including Lando Norris, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Jenson Button and David Coulthard all bidding farewell to the broadcaster. Over the years, he has hosted Sportsnight and Sports Personality of the Year, as well as the BBC's coverage of every Olympic Games between 1988 and 2004. He departed the BBC in 2005 and joined ITV where he presented coverage of Formula One, as well as the football and rugby World Cups. His final appearance proved to be a muted exit, but he has previously explained why he decided the time had come to quit. He told the Daily Mail: "The biggest emotion as you get into the last two minutes of something like that is, 'For God's sake, don't c**k it up.' "Because you'd be thinking about that for the next 20 years. I've probably outstayed my welcome. I've been hugely lucky with the places that the career has taken me. But it's close to 50 years now, so the cracks are showing." Steve famously used to present Match of the Day and was left miffed when he was replaced by Gary Lineker as the main host - admitting he had cut the former footballer out of his life. The beef began when Gary said in 2015 that he though the R&A as 'pompous' and accused them of feeling like 'superior beings'. This, in turn, provoked a furious reaction from Steve. He told the Golf Paper: "I hold Gary Lineker in the highest regard as a football presenter, but his reflections on his experiences as a golf presenter need a huge reality check. For four years, the R&A and most other observers knew that Gary was the wrong man in the wrong job. Hazel Irvine has just delivered once again at the Open presentation skills of the highest quality. Not many people can do that and Gary certainly came up short. "Roger Mosey, the head of sport, knew Gary was a golf fanatic and was further encouraged by Gary apparently volunteering for the Masters vacancy within a few minutes of my exit from Television Centre. "But if Mosey thought long and hard before offering Gary the golf job, it's even more baffling. Match of the Day is scripted and rehearsed. Golf presentation, especially at Augusta, is seat of the pants, unpredictable and demanding." Away from sport, Steve also won praise for being open about a battle against prostate cancer after he was diagnosed with the disease in October 2023. He underwent emergency surgery which stopped the cancer from spreading. He previously told BBC Breakfast: "They took one look and said, 'We're going to operate in two weeks'. "No messing around. We did Brands Hatch for ITV on the Sunday and I had the operation on the Thursday. So it slotted into the schedule quite nicely!"
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Antiques Road Trip star opens up on daughter's heartbreaking health battle and family 'struggle'
BBC Antiques Road Trip star Phillip Serrell said daughter Clementine's battle has been 'difficult' and 'hard to understand' Antiques Road Trip star Philip Serrell has opened up about his daughter's heartbreaking battle with anorexia. The BBC expert has been open and honest in the past about Clementine's health struggles, despite finding it hard to understand at first. Now that she's in recovery, Clementine wants to raise awareness and support others who are facing the same challenges she's experienced. Phillip shared his own struggles to comprehend what she was going through. He said: 'A s a dad, it's been very difficult, I've found it very hard to understand. "I've spent 62 years enjoying eating and it's very hard not to say 'Just eat, it's easy'." He also reflected on the progress his daughter made, admitting she's 'come through this on her own'. But Phillip candidly admitted his family are not out of the woods yet, and there are still tough situations to navigate. He added: 'Christmas a very difficult time of year because people suffering with anorexia get booze and food shoved at them - and that's very hard to deal with." Phillip's daughter first stepped into the public spotlight with her journey back in 2020 when she took to social media to post a comparison image of herself. In one of the pictures, she was at the height of the devastating illness, and in the second recent snap, she looked happier and healthier and working towards healing, as reports Devon Live. Brave Clementine aimed to empower others with her words, and said: "Never think you can't escape." She then went on to detail her battles with anorexia and bulimia, explaining she thinks the catalyst was the end of a significant relationship. She believes the internal turmoil led to feeling disassociated from her life. She disclosed that in 2011, she made herself vomit 'about eight times' on New Year's Eve, waking up on New Year's Day "full of shame and utter self loathing". The next year, she started suffering from anorexia. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She went on: "That was the worst year, and Christmas, ever. It was just pure hell, with no escape. I was TOTALLY consumed by the eating disorder, addicted to it, addicted to counting calories and 'burning off' what I could. I weighed EVERYTHING. I counted the calories in EVERYTHING. I hated what I'd become but I was petrified of giving up that addiction." She said her journey to recovery has felt painfully slow at times as she added: "After a long, and at times sooooo painfully slow, recovery I'm here, where I am now... I will always talk about eating disorders, and I'll always be honest. I don't post things like this for any praise or anything like that but to show others that you can get your life back." She said she is now committed to raising awareness about eating disorders. She went on: "I will always talk about eating disorders, and I'll always be honest. I don't post things like this for any praise or anything like that but to show others that you can get your life back. And also because I genuinely believe EDs are still very misunderstood and that kills me a bit. 'This is a hard time to go through, especially if you have an eating disorder but know that there can be life on the other side. And know that you really are strong enough to get there." Antiques Road Trip is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Love Island's Helena slammed by fans as ‘insecure' as they ‘work out' her real game plan
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE Island's Helena has been slammed by fans for being 'insecure' as they 'work out' her real game plan. Viewers watching tonight's episode of Love Island were quick to call out 29-year-old Helena for being "nasty" and "insecure". Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Helena spoke about Toni while on the sun loungers Credit: ITV 4 She was chatting to Harrison Credit: ITV 4 Fans slammed Helena and her 'game plan' Credit: ITV Sitting down with new boy Harrison, 22, to chat and flirt, Helena was talking about his other love interest, Toni, 24. Helena explained how she thought Toni was "marking her territory" with Harrison. She also said that it sometimes felt like Toni didn't like her talking to Harrison. Harrison was stunned and intrigued as Helena spoke about the American bombshell. Fans were quick to react to the comments Helena made about other girls - specifically Toni - to Harrison. "Helena's chat is literally just talking down other girls," noted one person on X. "I'm seeing a very nasty pattern with Helena….." said a second. A third penned: "Helena's main personality trait is putting other girls down. And she has the audacity to call THEM boring." "Can we get a compilation of Helena talking shit about the girls behind their backs on movie night please," pleaded a fourth. "Helena seems very insecure…" noted a fifth. Saucy sex position dare sparks Love Island row as TWO couples are on the rocks after spin the bottle game "Helena always has to put down other women to make herself more desirable. Gross," said a sixth. This comes after an explosive episode saw chaos ensue the house following a game of Spin The Bottle. In tonight's episode, a raunchy game of Spin The Bottle played out as the Islanders were faced with telling truths and direct dares. Irish rugby player Conor got a dare to put the person who he thinks is best in bed, in his "most favourite sex position". He picked Irish beauty Megan before getting her to lay on her tummy on the floor and declaring his favourite position to be "speed bumps". Conor then hovered above her as they giggled and he said: "Pump." Tommy, who Megan is currently coupled up with, watched on in horror and shook his head. Welsh beauty Emily, who Conor said he was most invested in, then said: "If he carries on, he'll never find out how I am in bed."
