BBC and ITV broadcaster retires after 48-year career

A BBC and ITV broadcasting legend has retired after his 48-year career in the industry came to an end. 

Steve Rider, 75, bid farewell for the final time after being part of the presentation team on ITV4 for the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park. 

Rider’s contributions to Formula One were recognised in the form of a two-minute montage that featured tributes from the likes of Lando Norris, Jenson Button, Damon Hill, Nigel Mansell and David Coulthard. 

He became a familiar face on British TV screens after becoming a regular presenter on BBC’s Grandstand. 

Rider also led coverage for rugby, golf, motorsports and rowing events for the BBC, along with Sports Personality of the Year. 

He then left the BBC in 2005 to join ITV, where he became the anchor of their F1 and World Cup coverage. 

In an interview with Mail Sport in April, Rider expressed his disappointment about how the BBC ‘dismantled’ its coverage of golf, a sport he was synonymous with during his time there. 

The broadcaster last had live coverage of The Open in 2015 and the Masters in 2019.

‘It has been a bit of a surrender,’ insists Rider. ‘I really don’t think there are too many hard-fought battles taking place with the BBC trying to defend their position.

‘The one thing that they do have is that ability to deliver a sizeable audience, so why not offer that up for the last day of the Ryder Cup or the Masters?

‘The whole landscape has changed hugely, but I do think BBC Sport went with a bit of a whimper, which is a shame.’

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2023, Rider underwent emergency surgery, which successfully stopped the tumour from spreading.

He 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!’