The BBC has decided to promote Andrew Cotter to the position of lead Wimbledon commentator starting from the 2027 tournament, replacing Andrew Castle after 23 years in the role. Castle, who has been the voice of the men's final for over two decades, will step away after this year's championship. The Telegraph reported that Cotter, 52, will take over from 2027.
Castle's Reaction and Departure
Andrew Castle expressed his disappointment, saying, "Am I upset? Yeah, I was upset, and I will stay that way this year, knowing it’s my last. But all good things come to an end." He revealed that the BBC asked him to return for next year but without the men's final, a role he declined. "I don’t know why I won’t be doing another final [after this year], apart from that it’s a ‘change of direction’," Castle told the Telegraph. "They did ask me to come back for next year without the final, but I declined. I think it’s the right decision. I don’t want to hang around really. And there are other avenues to pursue. In fact, there are two job offers."
BBC's Rationale
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski refused to explain the decision to remove Castle, stating, "I’m not going to get into private conversations. We asked Andrew to stay, because we think he’s excellent." He praised Castle's tenure, adding, "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."
Andrew Cotter's Background
Andrew Cotter primarily commentates on golf and rugby for the BBC but has also covered tennis, athletics, and the Boat Race. His promotion marks a shift in the BBC's tennis commentary team.
Kay-Jelski on Selection Process
Kay-Jelski emphasized that the choice of replacement was based on merit, not age or gender. "To go and get the best person," he said. "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 lineups. 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."
