Beginning his career in music as a fun-loving, noughties upstart on BBC Radio 1, Colin Murray soon moved into sport broadcasting.
The northern Irishman balanced hosting BBC Radio 5 Live’s raucous sport comedy panel show Fighting Talk with anchoring European football on Channel 5, before moving to precede Mark Chapman in the hot seat on Match of the Day 2.
But controversy later struck when Murray used Fighting Talk’s ‘Defend the Indefensible’ segment to ask panellists whether they would be able to “turn” the sexuality of openly gay broadcaster Clare Balding. The BBC soon issued an apology. Within months Murray had left the BBC to join TalkSport radio.
Murray has since expressed regret, admitting to The Guardian, external: “The second I said it… I knew it was over the line”.
In the years since, Murray has rehabilitated his BBC career, returning to present various shows on 5 Live and expanding to become the host of Channel 4’s long-running word show, Countdown.
A chance at the main Match of the Day role may end up a step too far, but Murray is certainly a tried, tested and trusted football anchor with appeal spanning all age groups.