The BBC has already selected Andrew Cotter to replace Andrew Castle as their lead Wimbledon commentator for next year's tournament. Castle, who has been the voice of Wimbledon for over two decades, was informed that this summer would be his last in the role. He was offered a less prominent commentary position but declined and left the BBC.
Castle's Frustration Over Exit
Castle expressed sadness and upset over being replaced, joking that he was 'booted' out before commentating on his final men's singles final on Sunday, where Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev to win back-to-back titles at SW19. He admitted he would have liked to stay on for another year.
Andrew Cotter Named Successor
Andrew Cotter, who primarily commentates on golf and rugby for the BBC, has been chosen as Castle's successor. Cotter has also covered tennis, athletics, and the Boat Race. He was involved in this year's Wimbledon coverage but will take on a much more prominent role in 2027. The promotion has not yet been officially confirmed by the BBC.
BBC's Modernisation Push
The change comes after the All England Club asked the BBC to modernise their coverage or risk losing the rights to the tournament. Earlier this month, a contract extension until 2033 was announced. Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC's director of sport, refused to detail the decision to remove Castle but said: '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.'
Kay-Jelski on Selection Process
Kay-Jelski explained the BBC's approach to picking Castle's replacement, stating they would 'go and get the best person' regardless of age or gender. 'You asked there about age and gender, I don’t ever look at that. It’s just not how my brain works and it won’t be how the team’s brain works. You just look at who the best people are, sometimes the best person is X, sometimes the best person is Y. You can see that with pundit line-ups. You can have Laura Robson and Eugenie Bouchard. You can also have Tracy Austin, who probably knows more about tennis than all of us put together. I just don’t think it’s about male, female and age.'
