Gabby Logan: It’s important that more women’s sport on TV is not just veneer
IT IS still a big deal for women to be seen and respected in the world of sport, presenter Gabby Logan has said.
Ms Logan, 48, who has hosted shows covering many of the world’s biggest sporting events from the World Cup to the Olympics, was speaking of her pride that her MBE is not only for services to sports broadcasting, but also the promotion of women in sport.
After collecting her award from the Duke of Cambridge at a ceremony at Windsor Castle, she said: “When I first started out in this industry in the late ’90s there weren’t really women working in this industry. I did not think about that so much at the time, although I kept being told it. Then as you realise you are in a position of responsibility and what differences and changes can be made, it all becomes a passion.
“For me, women’s sport and the increase in the coverage of women’s sport is not just about little girls watching television and thinking ‘I could be a footballer’ – it is about everybody thinking ‘I can do things that I did not think were possible before’.
“This is for me one of the great powers of sport in that it opens your mind to lots of different possibilities.”
Her childhood was all about men’s football, with weekends spent watching her father, former Welsh international Terry Yorath, play.
Ms Logan, who is a former international gymnast, began her broadcasting career in radio in 1992 and joined Sky Sports in 1996.
The presenter said “representation is so important, and then there is the brilliant health messages” it provides because so many girls drop out of sport at a young age and as their bodies change.
She added: “Young girls having role models is really important, and seeing their heroes on the field of play is really important.”
Ms Logan was among those who criticised England rugby head coach Eddie Jones for comments which suggested that tennis player Emma Raducanu had become overburdened by commercial “distractions” in the wake of her US Open victory.
He made the remarks to illustrate his belief that Marcus Smith must remain grounded, after the 22-yearold Harlequins magician stepped off the bench to orchestrate a late flurry of tries in a 69-3 victory over Tonga.
Ms Logan said: “I think maybe Eddie should’ve chosen a better example. I feel her achievements in the last six months have been so incredible, perhaps we could be more considerate and kind when we are talking about somebody losing a few tennis matches.”