Gabby Logan says she was told to ‘go home and don’t come back’ after being taken off World Cup duties

‘I thought it was going to be the end of my career’ said the broadcaster

Maira Butt
Saturday 15 March 2025 13:09 EDT
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Gabby Logan reveals bizarre new hobby she took up at 51

Gabby Logan has revealed that she was taken off World Cup duties by a former boss who “sidelined” her.

The 51-year-old sports presenter has hosted everything from the Olympics and FIFA World Cups to the UEFA Euros and Women’s World Cup. She was recently announced as one of the faces of Match of the Day following news of Gary Lineker’s departure last year.

But the veteran presenter, who has been in the sports presenting business for decades, said there was a time when she thought it would all be over.

"I think I had a rough ride in my early 30s in my career, and I can't believe that's nearly 20 years ago,” she told the White Wine Question Time podcast. “At the time, I thought it was going to be the end of my career.”

She explained: "I was leaving ITV and given another chance by the BBC... because even in my early 30s, I felt I'd already had this really long career and I'd done loads of great stuff. I'd been at Sky to start off with and went to ITV and did loads of brilliant things.”

Logan continued: "But I kind of felt I was maybe going to have to shift and do something completely different, because I had a boss that wasn't really into me and wanted to slightly demote me. He took me off a World Cup in 2006.”

The move came in the middle of the tournament while the star was still abroad, when her children were around one-years-old.

Logan says she was taken off World Cup hosting duties in 2006
Logan says she was taken off World Cup hosting duties in 2006 (Getty Images)

Logan continued: "My kids were a year old and I was flying off to Germany, leaving my babies behind, going to the World Cup. [But] in the middle of the World Cup, he kind of sidelined me, and I came home with my tail between my legs.”

After being sent back from Germany, the host was told not to come back.

"I was due to do so many knockout games and he said [not to come back] basically. Go home and don't come back because I was due to go home for a few days. In between the end of the group stages and the knockout stages, there's always a couple of days off and I was going to go home because it was only Germany and the kids were a year old."

The presenter then left ITV for a “second chance” at the BBC.

The Independent has contacted ITV for comment.

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