Sue Barker takes her Porsche for a spin in the Cotswolds as Clare Balding limbers up at Pilates

After stepping down as the voice of Wimbledon, it appears Sue Barker has found a new way to spend her summers.

The presenter, who presented the BBC’s coverage of the tournament for 30 years, took a top of the range Porsche 911 Turbo S for a spin in the Cotswolds last Saturday on June 24. 

Ms Barker, 67, was pictured climbing into the vehicle, which costs upwards of £180,000 and has a top speed of 205mph, before donning a pair of sunglasses and driving off.

Ms Barker was paid a six-figure salary of up to £189,999, according to last year’s BBC high earners list.

She stepped down from presenting Wimbledon coverage last summer after 30 years, receiving an emotional farewell from tennis stars Tim Henman, Andy Murray and Roger Federer.

The vehicle (pictured) costs upwards of £180,000 and has a top speed of 205mph 

And while Ms Barker was whizzing around the countryside, her replacement Clare Balding was limbering up ahead of the championship.

Ms Balding, 52, who is now the BBC’s lead Wimbledon presenter, was spotted leaving a Pilates session at her local gym in west London dressed in black leggings and a blue T-shirt.

In recent years the sports journalist has been staying in shape with a combination of exercise classes, local walks and running, which she took up during lockdown.

Ms Barker’s decision to retire from the role came two years after the BBC revealed it would not be renewing her contract for A Question of Sport.

The former French Open champion fronted the series alongside team captains Phil Tuffnell and Matt Dawson, who were also shown the door.

Ms Barker’s replacement Clare Balding (pictured) was seen limbering up ahead of the championship

John McEnroe speaks with Sue Barker during the Wimbledon No. 1 Court Celebration on May 19, 2019

Earlier this month Ms Barker recalled the day she was sent packing after 24 years, comparing her treatment to receiving detention at school.

She told Hay Festival: ‘So, I got up to leave and [management] says ‘no, can you leave by that door I don’t want you to see the boys’. I was like ‘are you serious?’ It felt like a detention at school. I can’t leave by the front door I’m going out the back door.

‘Out come the boys. Matt was really quite concerned. Tuffers in true Tuffers fashion thought he was getting a pay rise, so he went in extremely happy and then the next minute he was in floods of tears. He’s very emotional.’ The trio had been called into separate meetings with management where they were dealt the blows.

They asked the BBC to get statements from them for when the news broke, but they heard nothing for weeks before the broadcaster got in touch to ask them to sign a statement which claimed they had decided to step down.

She had previously told the Mail that the sacking had left her ‘slightly damaged’ and ‘wretchedly sad’.

Paddy McGuinness replaced Ms Barker on the long-running quiz show alongside Sam Quek and Ugo Monye.