When Gabby Logan was announced as one third of the new presenting trio replacing Gary Lineker on the BBC’s flagship football show Match of the Day, many wondered how it would all work.
Gary, 65, had hosted the iconic programme for 26 years, before being sacked by bosses for sharing an antisemitic post on social media.
But now with Gabby, and her fellow presenters Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, having got that first season under their belts, it would seem that viewers haven’t really noticed his absence.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, glamorous Gabby, 53, said: ‘It’s been a great season and all seems to have gone really well, it’s raced by.
‘People seem to really be enjoying it. I think that’s the biggest compliment to the three of us that have taken over, I think people don’t seem to have seen much a difference in a sense that it’s the same show and we do the same kind of things – it’s been great.’
In less than two weeks, Gabby will once again step into Gary’s shoes – this time to lead the the BBC’s World Cup coverage – and will be the first woman to do so in the UK.
Gabby, 53, said: ‘It’s been a great season and all seems to have gone really well, it’s raced by’
Gary, 65, had hosted the iconic programme for 26 years, before being sacked by bosses for sharing an antisemitic post on social media
And because the games are all being played in the evenings, it’s allowed her to glam-up her on-screen wardrobe.
Speaking of her wardrobe, Gabby said: ‘It’s all sorted but it’s a surprise! I haven’t got any dresses, I’ve got some skirts in there, I had to sort it out in advance as I’ve got just to make sure I’m organised.
‘I hate that feeling of waking up and not knowing what I’m wearing but it’s all sorted. Some suits as well, we can be a little bit glam because the matches are after 10pm, with 8pm kick-offs, and with the weather at the moment I don’t know what it’s going to be like when the World Cup kicks off in this country, but it’s gong to be hot in the venues that it’s being hosted in.
‘So you can kind of reflect that in the studio, it will be air conditioned obviously, but when you’re out there you can reflect that.’
This summer also marks a special occasion for Gabby as it’s 30 years since she first started out as a sports presenter. Gabby was just 23 years old when she moved down to London to join Sky Sports as football fever swept the nation after England made it to the semi-finals of Euro 96.
Recalling her very first day in the job, Gabby enthused: ‘I was hosting Sky Sports Centre with Dominik Holyer a sports news show which went live at 6pm and 10pm every night. It was fast paced and very often we had breaking sports news, it was a brilliant way to learn on the job.
‘ I was very nervous at the start but soon relaxed into it as I was working with great producers and editors and lovely co-hosts. My favourite to work with was Mark Durden Smith, we laughed a lot and learned a lot together, we used to joke that one day we’d host This Morning together when we were older, we are friends to this day.’
While she admits that she never dreamed she’d end up at the BBC let alone presenting its iconic football programme, she has no intention of celebrating the milestone. She said: ‘I just try and enjoy it all as it happens.’
Gabby also plays down her role as a pioneering female football presenter, but thinks it’s great that more women are now involved in the game. Over on ITV Laura Woods and Semra Hunter will sit alongside Mark Pougatch from their studios in New York for the channel’s World Cup coverage.
‘I’ve got Kelly as well so there are quite a few women around doing the World Cup which is good,’ said Gabby. ‘There is so much football on our screens now and so much live sport so the industry has changed dramatically with many more channels and ways to broadcast.
‘As well as more women in the industry at all levels, we have influencers broadcasting on YouTube, podcasts and social media which all provide many routes to enter.’
As a sports presenter, Gabby has seen her fair share of England teams in international tournaments.
So what does she think of the Three Lions’ chances at the World Cup?
‘I think people are rightly playing them down and I think that’s probably a good thing,’ she said. ‘I think it’s better not to be talked up as a favourite, maybe they could exceed expectations. It feels like they are very muted in terms of peoples expectation, but that’s not a bad thing for England to be underdogs.’
Gabby also thinks that England manager Thomas Tuchal seems like a ‘cool guy’ and she’s excited to see what he does in the tournament. She said: ‘He’s been out of club management for a bit and has been abroad and he’s come into England.
‘I might have interviewed him when he was at Chelsea but I haven’t seen him for a long time. I’ve watched some of his interviews and he seems quite funny, and he seems like somebody that people enjoy working alongside so it’ll be fascinating to see how he does in the tournament because he’s never taken a county to the World Cup either.’
Gabby will be in the Match of the Day studios in Salford for the World Cup, travelling from the family home in Buckinghamshire that she shares with husband Kenny, 54, and their 20-year-old twins Reuben and Lois.
She will then travel to America for the latter stages of the tournament. Despite her busy schedule Gabby always makes sure she finds time to exercise wherever she is in the world, and has come up with hacks to help.
Gabby, who is an ambassador for Vitabiotics’ menopause supplement Menopace, said: ‘When I’m on the go, staying in hotels, it’s always a bit of challenge especially in mid-life more than ever when you’re run ragged so it’s important to have these little hacks.
‘The energy you need to do the job that I do, working late at night, travelling a lot, having healthy snacks in your bag, taking a band with you so you can do a little work out, finding out where you can go for a nice walk in the morning or for a jog, all those things help me to keep sane in those crazy times really.
In less than two weeks, Gabby will once again step into Gary’s shoes – this time to lead the the BBC’s World Cup coverage – and will be the first woman to do so in the UK
‘It’s not always easy to make time to exercise but it is always worth it. For me, movement, sleep, nutrition and hydration are the cornerstones of health at any age but in midlife it seems to me if you drop off those things it’s harder to get it back. And I do try to find the positive in any situation, life will throw us curve balls and tough things to deal with, but we are still here.’
Gabby also has her very own lifestyle and wellness podcast, The MidPoint, where she discusses the realities of reaching midlife with celebrities and experts.
She said: ‘I get a lot of women coming up to me talking about what they’re going through, or they ask me about what tips and hints that I’ve talked about on the podcast. I’ve gone through maybe two thirds of my career with mainly men coming up to me so it’s been nice having a more sisterly conversation in the last decade or so.’
Readers can find out more by going to www.menopace.com
