MX23RW : Thursday, May 2 01:23:52| >> :600:127071317:127071317:

A look at sports stars turned TV personalities on Dion Dublin's birthday

A look at sports stars turned TV personalities on Dion Dublin's birthday
© Reuters
Dublin has turned his hand to television presenting following his retirement.

Former England, Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin was born on April 22, 1969.

Dublin has turned his hand to television presenting following his retirement, fronting popular daytime show Homes Under The Hammer.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at other sports stars who became hits on the small screen.

Gary Lineker

Probably the best transition of them all, Lineker has made his way to the top of the pile in sports broadcasting, becoming lead presenter for the BBC and BT's Champions League coverage. He was first a regular on television when appearing in adverts for Walkers Crisps and quickly moved to front Football Focus and also appear on 1990's panel show They Think It's All Over. He replaced Des Lynam as the BBC's main football presenter and has not looked back, becoming the corporation's highest paid presenter.

John Fashanu

'Gladiators'
John Fashanu hosted Gladiators in the early 1990s (David Jones/PA).

The former footballer came to fame as one of the characters in Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang', but even still his selection to host Gladiators in the early 1990s was a bit left-field. It turned out to be an inspired selection, as along side Ulrika Jonsson, Fashanu helped turn the show into a massive ratings hit for ITV, becoming a staple part of the Saturday night prime-time line-up. He even got his cactchprase into the social consciousness, with 'Awooga' entering many people's vocabulary. He also hosted the Nigerian version of gameshow Deal or No Deal.

Ian Wright

Ian Wright hosted the rebooted Gladiators
Ian Wright hosted the rebooted Gladiators (Matt Holyoak/Sky One)

Now a regular pundit sitting across from Lineker on Match of the Day, Wright has also tried his hand at presenting. In the early days following his retirement he guest presented Top Of The Pops before taking over from Ant and Dec on Saturday night game show Friends Like This. He had his own chat show on ITV called Friday Night's All Wright and he also fronted the rebooted Gladiators on Sky One.

Alex Scott

Few have been in more demand in recent times than former England international Alex Scott. She first made her name as a pundit on Sky Sports before also beginning to work with the BBC. She gained national fame when appearing as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, opening up opportunities on the One Show and Sport Relief, while also sitting alongside Chris Kamara on the Goals on Sunday sofa.

Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff, left, hosts popular BBC series Top Gear
Andrew Flintoff, left, hosts popular BBC series Top Gear (BBC)

Flintoff was always destined for more fame after his cricket career came to an end, given his larger than life personality, and he has rarely been off the small screen since. He has turned his hand to most reality TV shows going, including the Australian version of I'm A Celebrity, and has been a regular captain on Sky's A League Of Their Own. He has presented ITV shows All Star Musicals and Cannonball while recently getting his most high profile job as presenter on Top Gear. He has also turned his hand to some acting, appearing in BBC drama Love, Lies and Records.

ID:397210: cacheID:397210:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:22109:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Alastair Cook pictured in September 2018
Read Next:
Coronavirus latest: How sports stars kept themselves busy on Monday, April 20
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!