Sue Barker ended her stint as the BBC’s Wimbledon host last year, having initially taken up the role in 1999. The 67-year-old has had an interesting and varied life which started in professional tennis and transitioned to television, where she endeared herself to viewers over almost four decades. With that, Express Sport takes you through four intriguing stories from Barker’s life so far…
BBC dismissal
Barker became the face of popular quiz show A Question of Sport back in 1996 and she went on to anchor the programme, which featured the likes of Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell, for the proceeding 24 years.
At that point, the BBC took the controversial decision to dismiss Barker in the hope of revamping the show. Opening up on the call shortly afterwards, the broadcasting veteran admitted that it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“Apparently the BBC wanted to refresh the show – with more diversity and more appeal to a younger audience,” she said. “I was gobsmacked. I accepted their decision though I couldn’t help feeling wretchedly sad. The boys were devastated, too.”
Rock star romance
Barker has become synonymous with Wimbledon over the years, but so has rock star Cliff Richard, who famously sang from the stands of Centre Court in 1996. The pair first met in the 1980s and had a whirlwind four-month romance.
Years later, Richard claimed that Barker is the ‘only person’ with whom he has had that sort of relationship, which included him flying to Denmark to cheer her on in a tennis tournament and a sighting of the pair cosied up at Wimbledon.
Advert controversy
In 2012, Barker featured in a GoCompare advert which showed her firing a rocket launcher at the company’s notorious character – an opera singer called Gio Compario. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received more than 40 complaints as a result, with some claiming that it was inappropriate for a younger audience.
At the time, the ASA said: “Some people think it offensive especially at a time when children are watching. Others think it inappropriate when our security forces are coming under fire on a daily basis. As with all complaints, we are looking into the matter before deciding if we launch a full investigation.”
Grand Slam champion
Having been on British television screens for so long, it is easy to forget that Barker enjoyed a glittering tennis career, which culminated in her winning the French Open in 1976.
Devon-born Barker reached number three in the world rankings the following year, when she made it to the semi-finals of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, although she never went any further at the All England Club before retiring in her late twenties.
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