Millions of Question of Sport fans switch off after Paddy McGuinness takes over with ratings lower than FARM SHOP show
FOUR million viewers have blown the final whistle on Question of Sport since Sue Barker was axed as host — with ratings now at a record low.
Peak viewing figures have slumped to 850,000 this series, the second since Paddy McGuinness took over as presenter.
One episode of the long-running BBC quiz show was even beaten by a Channel 5 show about a farm shop. At its lowest, on August 19, just 730,000 viewers watched.
It is a far cry from the four to five million who regularly tuned in under Sue, 66, who was ousted in 2020 after 24 years at the helm, when bosses decided to refresh the panel.
She has criticised the Beeb in her new autobiography for the “insulting” way in which she was axed — along with team captains Matt Dawson, 49, and Phil Tufnell, 56.
Writing in Calling The Shots, she said: “Naively, I’d expected more after 24 years. Why had we been shown so little respect?
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“I was asked to announce I was leaving for the good of the show. I was astounded.
“Was that because I was too old or not good enough?
“Either way, it was insulting. Did they expect me to sack myself?”
Paddy, 49, took over in 2021, with ex-England hockey player Sam Quek, 33, and rugby’s Ugo Monye, 39, as the new team captains.
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The shake-up also saw celebrities take part, including reality TV star Jamie Laing, 33, and Strictly judge Anton Du Beke, 56.
Only 2.2million tuned in to Paddy’s first series.
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At the time, the comedian said of the backlash: “It happens with a heritage show, doesn’t it? A change of the guard.”
The show, running since 1968, broke records in 1987 when over 19million watched Princess Margaret take part.
