LIFE & TIMES: Gabby Logan

Presenter Gabby, 45, is John Bishop’s guest in this week’s instalment of In Conversation With (10pm, W); here, we look at some of the talking points of her life and career….

The eldest of four children born to footballer Terry Yorath – who played for Leeds, Coventry, Spurs and Wales – and his wife, Christine, Gabby was sporty as a girl, excelling at rhythmic gymnastics. She even represented Wales at the 1990

Commonwealth Games in Auckland, and hoped to compete in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, but sciatica forced her to retire from the sport.

She made her TV presenting debut in 1996 with Sky Sports, having worked on radio in Newcastle after reading law at Durham University. She had already appeared on television as a teenager in 1991, however, representing Leeds in the

Rose of Tralee contest, which is open to women of Irish birth or ancestry. When asked about her ambitions, she told the host, Irish broadcasting legend Gay Byrne: ‘I want your job.’ In 2007, she and husband Kenny Logan, a former Scotland rugby union international, competed in series five of Strictly Come

Dancing – Gabby was paired with James Jordan, while Kenny partnered James’s wife, Ola. Gabby was unexpectedly voted off in week four, while Kenny – even more unexpectedly – placed fifth. While known mainly as a BBC sports presenter, Gabby has hosted a few ITV game shows, including the celebrity diving contest Splash! (2013-14) and the rather more restful celebrity sheep-herding competition Flockstars (2015).