Bbc axes popular show after 50-year run - 'inflation and funding'

THE POPULAR SHOW FIRST AIRED IN 1970 09:03, 16 Dec 2023 The BBC says it has benched long-running quiz show A Question Of Sport, ending a more than 50-year run on the national broadcaster. 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.” The national

broadcaster cited “value for money” for BBC licence fee payers, which has seen the network reshuffle its squad of shows to prioritise high-impact content that drives viewers to BBC iPlayer.

A BBC source advised that this is not the final whistle for the programme, which first aired in 1970. The suspension of A Question Of Sport comes after Sue Barker was dropped as a presenter

in 2020, alongside long-running team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell. Paddy McGuinness took over the hosting gig alongside team captains Sam Quek and Ugo Monye, but their tenure only

lasted two seasons. Article continues below The move also follows the broadcaster announcing last month that long-running motoring show Top Gear would be rested “for the foreseeable future”.

Production of the show had been halted since former England cricket captain Flintoff, 45, was taken to hospital in December 2022 after he was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test

track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey.