Dan Walker to step down as presenter of Football Focus at the end of the season after 12 years at the helm… with Jermaine Jenas and Alex Scott the favourites to take over and 50-1 longshot Piers Morgan joking ‘I start Saturday!’
- Dan Walker will step down as presenter of Football Focus after 12 years on show
- The 44-year-old said he will miss the ‘magic’ of the BBC magazine show
- Walker will still present BBC Breakfast and will cover the Tokyo Olympics
- Jermaine Jenas is favourite to take over, while Piers Morgan is a 50-1 longshot
Dan Walker is stepping down as presenter of Football Focus after 12 years at the helm of the popular football magazine show, he has announced.
Walker joined the show at the beginning of the 2009-10 season and has been involved through many memorable footballing moments, having taken the show to Afghanistan among other achievements.
The 44-year-old is one of Football Focus’ longest-serving presenters and his last show will coincide with the end of the current season on Saturday, May 22.
Dan Walker will step down as presenter of Football Focus at the end of the 2020-21 campaign
Walker, who also presents BBC Breakfast and for BBC Sport, will continue in those roles and will work at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.
‘It has been an amazing 12 years and I have loved every second of it,’ Walker said of his time on the show in a video posted to Twitter.
‘I am so proud of the job we’ve done, the changes we’ve made and issues we’ve looked at while the football landscape changed immeasurably. Having said that, after 12 years it is time for someone else to take the reigns.
The 44-year-old has presented the magazine show for 12 years but will step down this summer
Walker said he will miss the show’s ‘magic’ but it is time for someone else to take the reigns
‘I am really going to miss the magic of the programme, the opportunities it has given me, the great friends I have made along the way and the thousands of conversations I have had with people who love the show just as much as I do.
‘I’d like to say thank you to the amazing team at Focus who put so much into the show each week and thank you to the audience for tuning in every Saturday.’
Match of the Day pundit Jermaine Jenas is the bookmakers’ favourite to take over from Walker, having enjoyed presenting stints on The One Show, another of the BBC’s magazine show.
Former England international and pundit Alex Scott is also a frontrunner, with the bookies listing her at 5-1 odds.
Meanwhile, former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan reacted to Walker’s impending departure, joking: ‘I start Saturday’.
The 56-year-old is a longshot at 50-1 odds to take the Football Focus hotseat.
Manish Bhasin, former host of The Football League Show on the BBC, tweeted: ‘Well played Dan. A great show to host – it’s become a real institution over the years. Looking forward to seeing who picks up the baton…’
Walker will continue presenting BBC Breakfast and will work at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics
Manish Bhasin, ex-presenter of The Football League Show, hailed Walker after his update
Former GMB presenter Piers Morgan joked that he will take over from the popular presenter
Philip Bernie, Head of TV at BBC Sport, added: ‘Dan has been exceptional as presenter of Football Focus for the last 12 years.
‘He is a top-class broadcaster who has brought authority, wit and fun to the show, always working so well with such warmth with the guests on the show.
‘We are extremely grateful for all he given to Focus, and will continue to enjoy watching him on the BBC’s sport output as well as the wider BBC.’