Andy almost missed awards as he was locked in loo
Tickets have gone on sale for the 2017 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year.
This time around, it’s at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
I love the fact that it is now held in different locations and has been opened up to the public.
The first time I went was 2004, when Andy won Junior Sports Personality Of The Year. It was so different then. It was held in the BBC studios in London and there were about 200-300 people there – mainly the athletes and their families.
We arrived a bit late as Andy managed to get himself locked in the toilet of the hotel we were staying in before we left.
We’d taken his best friend – Andy was only 17 and those kind of high-profile events were a bit daunting for all of us, so he was there for moral support – and he came running along to my room to tell me what had happened.
I called reception and the hotel handyman appeared and proceeded to kick the door open to get Andy out.
Andy had flown in from Spain earlier that day and it had all been a bit of a rush.
We realised he had no cufflinks and had to borrow a pair from a display in the hotel shop.
We didn’t want to buy a pair as they were too expensive and unlikely to be worn again. Waste not, want not, and all that.
I think at this year’s event there will be more focus on women’s sport.
There have been so many highlights on a global stage, such the England Women’s Team winning the Cricket World Cup. Girl power!