Legendary football presenter Jeff Stelling, 71, has joined BBC’s Celebrity Race Across the World alongside his son Matthew.
The talkSPORT Breakfast host has already filmed his scenes, competing against other celebrities including Katie Price and Peter Andre’s children, Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, according to a report in The Sun.
The programme is due to air later this year, although the BBC has yet to confirm a date.
A source told The Sun: ‘Jeff absolutely loves a challenge and when he was approached by the BBC to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World, he went for it.
‘He entered with his son Matt and they had a blast together.
‘The BBC know it’s a coup to get Jeff in the competition as he’s so well respected in the football world.’
Stelling has already filmed his scenes for Celebrity Race Across the World, competing against other celebrities including Katie Price and Peter Andre’s children Junior, 20, and Princess, 18
The talkSPORT presenter announced in February that he was stepping away for ‘two to three weeks’ on an extended break – although he has yet to return
The Hartlepool United superfan has also hosted Countdown on Channel 4 and fronted an ITV game show called Alphabetical.
Stelling is best known for his long tenure presenting Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, leaving the broadcaster in 2023 after 29 years in the role.
He has since presented talkSPORT’s Breakfast show on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-10am alongside Ally McCoist, although he announced in February that he was stepping away for ‘two to three weeks’ on an extended break. He has yet to return.
‘We’ve had so many texts (on today’s show) that I’m going to have to take a break, which is what I’m going to do for the next two or three weeks,’ he said at the time.
‘I’m just going to chill out for a bit of rest and relaxation. I’ll see you when I’m back.’
Stelling also made a cameo appearance in the hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso. And in 2023, he was made an MBE for fundraising and campaigning for prostate cancer charities.
Daily Mail Sport exclusively interviewed Stelling earlier in the year, where he spoke about his intention to continue presenting for many years.
He told us: ‘I love it. I feel exactly the same as I did when I was in my mid-30s, my mid-40s, my mid-50s. I don’t see any reason to stop. As long as people ask me to do it, I’m going to carry on.
‘People will tell me, “you’re an old fart, you’re out of touch with modern views,” and sometimes they do now! Sometimes I get called a dinosaur – a pet hate, by the way. If anybody texts me, do not call me a dinosaur! It doesn’t matter if I’m 70 and you’re 17. Our opinions have got equal merit.’
He added: ‘It was an opportunity to do a podcast which wasn’t just sports-based but to find out a little bit about people’s lives.
‘It will be people from the world of sport but we may not concentrate on which games and trophies they’ve won. I’d like to hear their back story. In this day and age, they’re so managed that we hear their answers about that game, that race, that match, but we don’t necessarily know them as human beings.’
