Andrew Castle, the beloved tennis commentator and former professional player, is calling his final Wimbledon Championships after 23 years with the BBC. The 62-year-old will step down after this year's men's final, with Andrew Cotter reportedly taking over from 2027.
Andrew Castle's Departure from BBC Wimbledon
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski confirmed the news, stating: 'I'm not going to get into private conversations. We asked Andrew to stay, because we think he's excellent. He's been doing this for 20 years, and then he took the decision, therefore, that is enough. I think even he said this week that he was told face-to-face and it was done nicely. He's done an absolute brilliant innings.'
Who Is Andrew Castle's Famous Daughter?
Fans may be surprised to learn that Andrew Castle has a very famous daughter: Georgina Castle, a beloved West End musical theatre actress. Georgina, whom Andrew shares with his wife Sophia, is best known for playing Regina George in the West End production of Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre and Sophie in Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre.
Andrew has expressed pride in his daughter's career, saying: 'I'm full of admiration for her and love listening to her sing.' Georgina added: 'My family have never faltered in their support.'
Georgina Castle's Career and Family
In 2022, Georgina starred as Jovie opposite Simon Lipkin in the West End revival of Elf at the Dominion Theatre. She later began dating her co-star Simon, and the couple married last year. In April, Georgina announced her pregnancy on Instagram with a video revealing the gender of their baby. The caption read: 'See you in September baby girl,' prompting congratulations from fellow theatre stars including Amber Davies, Hannah Lowther, Lucie Jones, and Samantha Barks.
Andrew Castle's Other Daughter
Andrew and Sophia also have a younger daughter, Claudia Castle, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Claudia married cricket player Will Tavaré in 2019, and they have two children: a son named Louis and a daughter named India. Claudia shares her father's love of sports and once worked at Wimbledon, joking: 'It was one of the best jobs; we were paid to watch tennis all day, sit in the sun and occasionally pull the covers over the grass when it rained!'
Coverage of Wimbledon airs on BBC One and BBC Two, and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
