Tributes have been paid to a ‘pioneer’ of sports broadcasting after she signed off on 27 years of presenting on Sky Sports News with her final shift on Christmas Day.
Clare Tomlinson, 57, was one of the faces of the channel when it launched in 1998 and has been a Sky regular since. One colleague today dubbed her ‘The First Lady of Sky Sports’.
She announced her exit on December 25 with a post on set, alongside her partner Carl Rumney. ‘My last shift on Sky!’ Tomlinson wrote. ’27 years later, it’s time to say goodbye.. Merry Christmas!’
Her message sparked an influx of well-wishes from colleagues past and present.
Jeff Stelling, who hosted Soccer Saturday for almost 30 years on Sky, wrote: ‘You have been amazing Clare. Was a pleasure working with you/watching you for so long.’ Broadcaster Rob Palmer wrote: ‘The consummate professional The First Lady of Sky Sports.’
Clare Tomlinson signed off on her last shift at Sky Sports News with partner Carl Rumney
Carrie Frais, Kelly Dalglish and Tomlinson pose at the launch of Sky Sports News in 1998
Current Sky Sports presenter Mark McAdam added: ‘One of the originals and true pioneer…’. While horse racing journalist Mike Cattermole posted: ‘Clare, well done, you have been consistently brilliant!’
Tomlinson’s exit comes amid a bigger picture of job cuts and high-profile departures at Sky.
Earlier this year a number of well-known faces were made redundant in changes first revealed by Daily Mail Sport.
Reporter Melissa Reddy, presenter Rob Wotton and colleagues Teddy Draper, Jasper Taylor, Jeremy Langdon and Fadumo Olow were all cut.
Tomlinson’s credits while working at Sky including presenting Goals on Sunday, working as a reporter on Super Sunday and anchoring Sky Sports News’ late show Through The Night.
Sky’s first presenter line up included (clockwise from top left) Dave Clark, Carrie Frais, Kelly Dalglish, Clare Tomlinson, Julian Waters and Mike Wedderburn
Tomlinson has been a regular face to viewers of Sky’s broadcasting for almost three decades
She has appeared less frequently in recent years, operating on a freelance basis.
Tomlinson was unfortunately placed at the centre of Sky Sports’ sexism row in 2011 when Andy Gray and Richard Keys made sexist comments to Tomlinson while she was working as a touchline reporter.
In a leaked 30-second clip from their time as Sky presenters, Gray and Keys are heard wolf-whistling at Tomlinson as she prepares to report to camera pitchside, before breaking into a chant of ‘Get your t**s out for the lads’. Gray then makes one final distasteful comment before the footage cuts off.
Sky’s iconic presenting and punditry duo left the broadcaster in disgrace.
