Sue Barker reveals A Question of Sport reunion is in the works after BBC show was sensationally axed
SUE Barker has confirmed plans to reunite with her A Question of Sport co-stars after the show was given the boot by the BBC.
The star was the leading host of the panel quiz show for years before she was replaced by Paddy McGuinness in a move which appeared to seal the show’s future.
Under Barker, the quiz show achieved an average of four to five million viewers every episode.
She fronted the show alongside Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson between 1997 and 2020 before the Beeb opted to overhaul the show.
Viewing figures plummeted to below one million with the BBC pointing to “funding challenges” as its reason for axing the show.
It also stated it had little appeal on BBC iPlayer as fans continually hit out at the broadcaster’s decision to axe Sue, Matt and Phil.
However, Sue has now confessed that the trio are in early talks fora reunion.
Sue spoke with Aimee Fuller on the Monday Mile podcast where she spilled all on her plans with her former co-stars.
She revealed: “It’s early stages yet, but we’re hoping to do a theatre tour in a sports quiz, next year in 2025.
“So we’re sort of hoping we’ll be able to do that. Fingers crossed, it’ll be good to get the gang back together.
“Matt and I go back so many years because he joined in like 2004, so we were together for 16 plus years.
“And then Tuffers, at least 12 years, so there is an amazing bond there and we have our own little WhatsApp group, we keep in touch.”
Despite her love for the show, Sue confirmed that she would turn down the chance to host the programme again if it were ever to make a comeback.
She added: “I would be amazingly tempted. I’d be tempted [with] A Question Of Sport, I’d be tempted to [also] go back to Wimbledon, but I know that the right decision is no.
“The right decision for me is no and the right decision for the programme is no, but if I was 20-30 years younger, I’d jump at it, absolutely.
“I loved it, but everybody has their time, my time was then. It’s time for someone else to take the baton and really enjoy it.
“As much as I’d love to go back, I know that it’ll never happen.”
Sue had previously expressed how gutted she was that the long-running show had come to an end.
She told The Telegraph: “I’m incredibly sad that my favourite show has been axed.
“I loved watching it with my dad as a kid and then had the privilege of taking over the host’s chair in 1997.
“From there I had 24 fun-filled years presenting it with the very best captains. I truly hope it will return one day.”