Sky Sports are reportedly set to unveil Simon Thomas as the replacement for Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday. The former Blue Peter presenter has big shoes to fill, with Stelling waving goodbye to loyal viewers at the end of last season following a 25-year stretch on the channel’s flagship football results show.
Thomas, 50, already has experience presenting Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, and he has built a successful freelance career over the past few years. His appointment is expected to go down well with viewers and colleagues.
According to The Daily Mail, Thomas has landed the role despite stiff comeptition from fellow Sky Sports presenters Caroline Barker and Jules Warren, and he will be officially unveiled as Stelling’s replacement next week.
Thomas spent six years on Blue Peter earlier in his career, and his first Soccer Saturday show is set to air on 5 August, coinciding with the start of the EFL season.
Norwich-born Thomas temporarily stepped back from the industry six years ago following the tragic death of his wife, who passed away only three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Sky Sports has been the subject of a major reshuffle in recent months, with Stelling heading for the exit door alongside long-serving commentator Martin Tyler, touchline reporter Geoff Shreeves and pundit Graeme Souness.
Stelling was a hugely popular figure over a quarter of a century presenting Soccer Saturday, where he gained a reputation for over-the-top celebrations of Hartlepool United goals and a heartwarming friendship with Chris Kamara.
As part of an emotional final monologue, the 68-year-old told viewers: “Elton John rang me this week. Someone asked me the other day if I have ever been starstruck, and yeah… I was starstruck when Elton John rang me at home to say ‘thank you very much for all you have done’.
“He said to me: ‘Every week I watch the show and every week you tell me Watford are losing, and every week you tell me Hartlepool are losing – so I feel like we are kindred spirits’.”
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