BBC axes A Question of Sport after dominating 50-year run as viewer figures dip

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Full time has finally been called on A Question of Sport, after more than half a century on the BBC - three years on from Sue Barker being dropped as host.

BBC chiefs have blown the whistle on the show after a record-breaking run, dwindling ratings and limited iPlayer appeal, reports the Mirror.

However, they have insisted the brand is not for sale at this time, as they reserve the right to revive it in the future. This news comes after Barker was dropped from the show back in 2020, alongside team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell.Paddy McGuinness took over from Sue as host, with Sam Quek and Ugo Monye running the teams - but their tenure on the show failed to interest viewers enough.Many people had complained how Paddy did not have a sporting background, suggesting he was not the correct choice as host.

Former Rangers and Scotland star Ally McCoist featured as a captain on the show between 1996 and 2007.Last night a BBC spokesman said: "Due to inflation and funding challenges difficult decisions have to be made, therefore Question of Sport is currently not in production at the moment."An insider said the show was no longer in production but would possibly return in the future, in the same way that The Weakest Link ended in 2012, but returned in 2020 with a new host."We have to provide value for money to licence fee payers and prioritise high impact content that drives viewers to BBC iPlayer," the insider explained. "So, for now, Question of Sport is taking a break and there are no current plans for its return."The show first began in 1970, with sports presenter David Vine as host, following a successful pilot with disgraced TV host Stuart Hall in attendance.Vine stayed with the show until 1977 then, in 1979, David