Jeff Stelling
Encyclopedia
Robert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling (born 18 March 1955, Hartlepool
, County Durham
) is an English sports journalist and sport
television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday
for Sky Sports
and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4
quiz show Countdown
. In May 2011 it was announced that he would leave the show at the end of the year due to his commitments with SKY.
. He attended Rift House Primary School and West Hartlepool Grammar School for Boys (which became Hartlepool Sixth Form College
in the 1980s) on Blakelock Road.
on Radio Tees
. He was a sports presenter on London's LBC
Radio Sportswatch programme in the early 1980s before moving to BBC Radio 2
's weekend sports programme Sport On 2, covering the Los Angeles
and Seoul
Olympic games.
, Channel 4
, Eurosport
and British Satellite Broadcasting
before moving to Sky in 1992 to present coverage of horse racing
, snooker
and darts
. In 2003 he won a sports presenter special edition of The Weakest Link
. In 2004, Stelling was offered but rejected an offer from the BBC
to front Score--their new Saturday results service. Stelling rejected the offer and the job was given to Ray Stubbs
.
, Chris Kamara
, Rodney Marsh
and the late George Best
. Much of the programme's popularity is put down to Stelling, The Guardian
praising him for "exceptional professionalism and élan" and When Saturday Comes
describing him as "perhaps the best sports presenter on British TV".
At the start of the 2005-06 Premiership football season, Stelling replaced Ian Payne
as the host of Sky Sports
' Ford Monday Night Football
programme. However, Stelling's appointment coincided with a new, shorter format of the programme, with Stelling presenting the show live from the ground of that evening's game. Previously, the show had been presented from a studio, and had featured some coverage of the prior weekend's games. Moreover, in previous years on Monday nights without a live game, a Monday Night Football Special would be broadcast, which included only the analysis from the weekend's games. This appears to have been dropped from the 2005-06 season, indicating that Stelling's appointment is to a smaller role than that held by his predecessors.
Stelling made a brief appearance in an episode of Mike Bassett: Manager
where he played as himself in the episode "Abide with me".
In 2011, when presenting Gillette Soccer Saturday, Stelling unbeknowingly got tongue-tied when saying the name of Scottish First Division football team "Raith Rovers". He mispronounced it as "Roath Ravers". The gaffe was subsequently mocked by Sky One's satirical live football-based show, Soccer AM
. Two of its crew dressed up and danced like night club 'ravers'. Stelling's mistake was turned into a soundbite and remixed to make the music that they danced to. The gaffe also helped inspire a new football club to be set up in the Roath area of Cardiff called Roath Ravers FC.
In 2011 he replaced the departed Richard Keys
as the main presenter of Sky's live Champions League
coverage.
game show Countdown
following the departure of Des O'Connor
. He had reportedly also been approached for the role following the death of long-time host Richard Whiteley
, but the role was given to Des Lynam
instead. Stelling began recording Countdown in December 2008, with the show's new assistant Rachel Riley
, and started broadcasting in January 2009. He also appears during an episode of The IT Crowd
in the same role. However, it was announced on May 25th 2011 that Stelling would be stepping down as presenter of Countdown
at the end of the year, after three years at the helm, to concentrate on football, including his new Champions League role.
.
Stelling has been named as Sports Broadcaster of the Year for five successive years by the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain, based on a poll of its members. He has so far been the only broadcaster to win the award.
On 12 March 2010 he was granted the title of honorary freeman of his hometown of Hartlepool, along with the town's former MP Lord Mandelson.
in south Hampshire with his wife Liz and two sons Robbie (born September 1998) and Matthew (born December 1999) and a daughter Olivia (born July 2003). They were married in November 1998 in Richmond upon Thames
. He has completed the London Marathon
on eight occasions and his best time is 3 hours and 28 minutes. He is a well-known supporter of Hartlepool United F.C.
, in which during the 2008-09 season, he would use a singing toy figure of the singer James Brown
singing "I Feel Good" every time the player of the same name would score.
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
) is an English sports journalist and sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday
Soccer Saturday
Gillette Soccer Saturday is a weekly television programme broadcast on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the football season. The programme updates viewers on the progress of association football games in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Saturday afternoons. The current host is...
for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
quiz show Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
. In May 2011 it was announced that he would leave the show at the end of the year due to his commitments with SKY.
Early life
Stelling was brought up in the north-east of England in HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
. He attended Rift House Primary School and West Hartlepool Grammar School for Boys (which became Hartlepool Sixth Form College
Hartlepool Sixth Form College
Hartlepool Sixth Form College, otherwise known as 'Brinkburn Sixth Form College', '6fc' & 'HSFC', is one of fewer than 100 specialist sixth form colleges in England.-History:...
in the 1980s) on Blakelock Road.
Radio
His first broadcasting position was as a reporter on Southampton F.C.Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on Radio Tees
Radio Tees
Radio Tees was the original name of TFM Radio, the Independent Local Radio station broadcasting in North East England, serving Teesside and parts of County Durham and North Yorkshire....
. He was a sports presenter on London's LBC
LBC
LBC Radio operates two London-based radio stations, with news and talk formats. LBC was Britain's first legal commercial Independent Local Radio station, providing a service of news and information to London. It began broadcasting on 8 October 1973, a week ahead of Capital Radio...
Radio Sportswatch programme in the early 1980s before moving to BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's weekend sports programme Sport On 2, covering the Los Angeles
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
and Seoul
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
Olympic games.
Television
He later spent time as a sports newsreader at TV-amTV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
and British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
before moving to Sky in 1992 to present coverage of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
and darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
. In 2003 he won a sports presenter special edition of The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. In 2004, Stelling was offered but rejected an offer from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
to front Score--their new Saturday results service. Stelling rejected the offer and the job was given to Ray Stubbs
Ray Stubbs
Raymond "Ray" Stubbs is a broadcaster and former footballer. He works for ESPN, presenting live Premier League and Scottish Premier League matches, having joined the satellite sports channel from the BBC in 2009.-Football career:...
.
Sports Saturday
In 1994 Stelling became presenter of Sports Saturday, which became Gillette Soccer Saturday in 1998, hosting a programme lasting up to six hours of football discussion and live reports on the afternoon's games with a panel of pundits including Frank McLintockFrank McLintock
Francis "Frank" McLintock MBE is a Scottish former football defender who played for Leicester City, Arsenal and QPR.-Leicester City:...
, Chris Kamara
Chris Kamara
Chris Kamara is a retired English footballer. He ended his playing career in 1995 and last managed a club in 1998. He is now a presenter and football analyst on Sky Sports.-Playing career:...
, Rodney Marsh
Rodney Marsh (footballer)
Rodney William Marsh is an English retired footballer. He was named after HMS Rodney by his father, who served on the battleship. He played for Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Manchester City, the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the England national team. Lately, he has been a pundit and a commentator on the...
and the late George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
. Much of the programme's popularity is put down to Stelling, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
praising him for "exceptional professionalism and élan" and When Saturday Comes
When Saturday Comes
When Saturday Comes is a monthly magazine about football, first published in London in 1986. "It aims to provide a voice for intelligent football supporters, offering both a serious and humorous view of the sport, covering all the topics that fans are likely to talk about, whether serious or...
describing him as "perhaps the best sports presenter on British TV".
At the start of the 2005-06 Premiership football season, Stelling replaced Ian Payne
Ian Payne
Ian Payne is a British television broadcaster who has appeared on Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports News and Sky Sports. He is the son of Peter Payne, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist.-Early career:...
as the host of Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
' Ford Monday Night Football
Ford Monday Night Football
Ford Monday Night Football is a football programme on Sky Sports which broadcasts live English football generally from the Premier League.-Original run:...
programme. However, Stelling's appointment coincided with a new, shorter format of the programme, with Stelling presenting the show live from the ground of that evening's game. Previously, the show had been presented from a studio, and had featured some coverage of the prior weekend's games. Moreover, in previous years on Monday nights without a live game, a Monday Night Football Special would be broadcast, which included only the analysis from the weekend's games. This appears to have been dropped from the 2005-06 season, indicating that Stelling's appointment is to a smaller role than that held by his predecessors.
Stelling made a brief appearance in an episode of Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager
Mike Bassett: Manager is a British TV comedy series, which began transmitting from 29 September 2005 on ITV. It is a follow-up to the film Mike Bassett: England Manager, and stars Ricky Tomlinson in the title role Steve Edge as his assistant, and Amanda Redman as his long-suffering wife, Karine...
where he played as himself in the episode "Abide with me".
In 2011, when presenting Gillette Soccer Saturday, Stelling unbeknowingly got tongue-tied when saying the name of Scottish First Division football team "Raith Rovers". He mispronounced it as "Roath Ravers". The gaffe was subsequently mocked by Sky One's satirical live football-based show, Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
. Two of its crew dressed up and danced like night club 'ravers'. Stelling's mistake was turned into a soundbite and remixed to make the music that they danced to. The gaffe also helped inspire a new football club to be set up in the Roath area of Cardiff called Roath Ravers FC.
In 2011 he replaced the departed Richard Keys
Richard Keys
Richard Keys is an English radio presenter best known for his time with British sports channel Sky Sports from 1991 until 2011. In February 2011, Keys along with fellow Sky presenter, Andy Gray signed with talkSPORT....
as the main presenter of Sky's live Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
coverage.
Countdown
On 21 November 2008, it was reported that Stelling had been confirmed as the new host of the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
game show Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
following the departure of Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor
Des O'Connor, CBE is an English comedian and singer. A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years...
. He had reportedly also been approached for the role following the death of long-time host Richard Whiteley
Richard Whiteley
John Richard Whiteley, OBE DL , usually known as Richard Whiteley, was an English broadcaster and journalist. He was famous for his twenty-three years as host of Countdown, a letters and numbers arrangement game show broadcast most weekdays on Channel 4...
, but the role was given to Des Lynam
Des Lynam
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE is an Irish television and radio presenter based in the UK.He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years...
instead. Stelling began recording Countdown in December 2008, with the show's new assistant Rachel Riley
Rachel Riley
Rachel Annabelle Riley is an English television presenter. Since 12 January 2009 she has been the co-host of Countdown. She replaced Carol Vorderman from the 60th series onwards...
, and started broadcasting in January 2009. He also appears during an episode of The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
in the same role. However, it was announced on May 25th 2011 that Stelling would be stepping down as presenter of Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
at the end of the year, after three years at the helm, to concentrate on football, including his new Champions League role.
Recognition
On 23 November 2007 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Professional Studies by the University of TeessideUniversity of Teesside
Teesside University is a university in Middlesbrough, England. It has a student body of 29,285 students as of the 2009/10 academic year. It recorded rises in applications of 25.1 per cent and 23.5 per cent for degree courses beginning in 2010, the highest such percentage increases of the five...
.
Stelling has been named as Sports Broadcaster of the Year for five successive years by the Sports Journalists' Association of Great Britain, based on a poll of its members. He has so far been the only broadcaster to win the award.
On 12 March 2010 he was granted the title of honorary freeman of his hometown of Hartlepool, along with the town's former MP Lord Mandelson.
Personal life
Stelling lives in Bishop's WalthamBishop's Waltham
Bishop's Waltham is a small town in Hampshire, England situated at the head of the River Hamble. It is home to the ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, an English Heritage monument.-History:...
in south Hampshire with his wife Liz and two sons Robbie (born September 1998) and Matthew (born December 1999) and a daughter Olivia (born July 2003). They were married in November 1998 in Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
. He has completed the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
on eight occasions and his best time is 3 hours and 28 minutes. He is a well-known supporter of Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, in which during the 2008-09 season, he would use a singing toy figure of the singer James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
singing "I Feel Good" every time the player of the same name would score.