John Inverdale

John Inverdale
Inverdale in 2005
Born	John Inverdale (1957-09-27) 27 September 1957 Plymouth, Devon, England, UK
Nationality	British
Education	Clifton College
Occupation(s)	Television and Radio presenter
Employer(s)	BBC Sport, ITV Sport
Spouse	Jackie Inverdale
Children	2

John Inverdale (born 27 September 1957) is an English broadcaster who works for the BBC and ITV.

During his radio career, he has presented coverage of many major sporting events including the Olympic Games, Wimbledon, the Grand National and the FIFA World Cup. He was the main television presenter of Today at Wimbledon until 2014 and has hosted television coverage of sports programmes including Rugby Special and Grandstand. He presents ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup and the French Open.

Early life

Inverdale was born in Plymouth, Devon, the son of a Royal Navy dental surgeon, Captain John Inverdale, who played rugby union for Devonport Services. Inverdale was educated at Clifton College in Bristol and at the University of Southampton, where he obtained a history degree in 1979, also being the editor of the student newspaper Wessex News and captained the university's tennis team for two years.

After gaining a post-graduate journalism qualification at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, he began his career with two years at the Lincolnshire Echo, and then joined BBC Radio Lincolnshire in 1982.

Broadcasting career

Radio

Inverdale began to work on the BBC's national radio stations in 1985, firstly on Radio 2's sports unit, then between 1990 and 1994 at Radio 5, where he presented the flagship sports programme Sport On 5. In 1994 he became one of the main regular presenters on the relaunched BBC Radio 5 Live. He presented the drivetime show John Inverdale Nationwide until 1997, for which he was named Sony Broadcaster of the Year in 1997. At 5 Live, he hosted the topical show, Any Sporting Questions, a variation on Radio 4's Any Questions, and similarly toured the UK each week. In 2008 he broadcast for 5 Live from the Olympic Games in China. Along with Sir Steve Redgrave he appeared at Shunyi Rowing Lake for the Olympics in Beijing. He hosts the station's coverage of BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has occasionally guest presented on Radio 2.

Inverdale has headed 5 Live's coverage of such events as Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, the football and rugby union World Cups, the World Athletics Championships, the Ryder Cup, the Open Championship, the London Marathon and the Cheltenham Festival.

Television

Inverdale has also worked regularly for BBC Television.

He became the BBC's main Rugby Union anchor in the 2006 Six Nations Championships following the departure of Steve Rider to ITV Sport. He led ITV's Rugby World Cup coverage in 2015.

From 2000–2014 he presented Today at Wimbledon, the nightly tennis highlights on BBC Two (the programme's format was changed in 2015 and he moved to match commentary.)

Inverdale has hosted ITV's live French Open coverage from Roland Garros since 2012.

In October 2012, he filmed several episodes of Channel 4 show Countdown.

He appears as himself in BBC Three comedy Witless (2016) as the presenter of 'Witpro', a spoof video series about witness protection.

Controversy

On 6 July 2013, the day of the Wimbledon Ladies Final, during a pre-match discussion on 5 Live with commentator Lindsay Davenport, Inverdale said of finalist (and eventual winner) Marion Bartoli: "I just wonder if her dad, because he has obviously been the most influential person in her life, I just wonder if her dad did say to her when she was 12, 13, 14 maybe, 'Listen, you are never going to be, you know, a looker. 'You are never going to be somebody like a Sharapova, you're never going to be 5ft 11, you're never going to be somebody with long legs, so you have to compensate for that. You are going to have to be the most dogged, determined fighter that anyone has ever seen on the tennis court if you are going to make it," and she kind of is.'"

Inverdale's words prompted criticism on Twitter and other social media, with some alleging they had complained of his "sexist and patronising" view of women's tennis in the past.

Bartoli was yet to hear a recording of the incident when asked about it at a press conference the following day. She responded: "It doesn't matter, honestly. I am not blonde, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I'm sorry. But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes. And to share this moment with my dad was absolutely amazing and I am so proud of it."

Inverdale himself apologised on air the next day for his "ham-fisted comments", saying that he had "understandably caused something of a furore" and that he had apologised to Bartoli by letter. He also spoke to her at the Champions Dinner that evening.

A BBC spokesman said: "We accept that this remark was insensitive and for that we apologise."

BBC Director of News James Harding was asked at a Women in Journalism event the following week whether Inverdale ought to be sacked. Harding said: "I think he said the wrong thing ... You have got to own your mistakes and apologise for them. I do think it's important that an apology too is an important thing and if you are talking about sacking someone, [you have to ask] is it proportionate. As a licence fee payer I think it was wrong." In the initial days the BBC received 674 complaints – the number rose as the story gained wider coverage

Culture Secretary Maria Miller wrote to BBC director general Lord Hall, expressing concern and asking about "any further action that is likely to be taken". In his reply, Hall wrote, "I agree that the comments made by John (Inverdale) during the build-up to the women's final were totally unacceptable and fell well beneath the standards we expect of our presenters." Hall added that BBC executives told Inverdale that "an incident of this nature must never happen again".

In a joint interview with Bartoli the following year, as promotion for ITV Sport's 2014 French Open coverage, Inverdale said he believed Miller's intervention, ten days after the original incident, was likely politically motivated and part of an anti-BBC agenda.

Bartoli said: "I'd known John a long time, and I knew what he was trying to say. At the end of the day I am a tennis player, I know I’m not 6ft tall, I’m not the same long, lean shape as Maria Sharapova, but the beauty of tennis is that anyone can win, tall or short. Something the press took to be negative to me was a positive."

Charity Work

He became a patron of charity Cardiac Risk in the Young in 2005.

Awards

Inverdale received a Doctor of Letters honorary degree from the University of Southampton in July 2001. He was awarded an honorary fellowship to the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) in November 2009.

Personal life

Inverdale lives in Branston, Lincoln, Lincolnshire with his wife and two daughters. He made national news in 2005 when his face appeared in many newspapers showing the scars he received whilst playing rugby union for Esher. He is a fan of both Southampton and Lincoln City football clubs.

External links

• John Inverdale at IMDb
• John Inverdale – BBC and Canoeing Commentator! Radio Waves, 31 May 2009 – Students interview John Inverdale