One of the most familiar voices in radio is to join BBC Radio 5 live as reader of the classified football results.
Former Radio 4 newsreader Charlotte Green, whose iconic voice is recognisable to listeners across the country, will delight or disappoint football fans as she takes up the role as part of the station’s flagship Sports Report programme just after 5.00pm every Saturday afternoon.
Green’s first reading of the classified results will be on Saturday, September 28, and she will also read the results to listeners across the world on the BBC World Service.
She was one of the longest-serving announcers on Radio 4 – alongside Harriet Cass – until she left the corporation full-time in 2012.
Green specialised in newsreading from 1998, including the Today programme on Radio 4, after having already served two decades with the corporation in various roles.
The classified football results were previously read by James Alexander Gordon for nearly 40 years before he announced his retirement last month.
Green, a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, said: “I’m delighted to be offered this opportunity as I’ve been a football fan all my life.
“In fact as a six year old I used to sit at the dining room table reading the football scores out loud from the newspaper, so this really is a dream come true.
“It is a huge honour to take over from James Alexander Gordon.”
Gordon was forced to retire from the role after 40 years service following throat cancer treatment in which his larynx was removed.
Sadly his distinctive voice is no longer strong enough for broadcast.
Richard Burgess, head of BBC Radio Sport, said: “We are delighted to welcome Charlotte to 5 live.
“We are really looking forward to hearing her distinctive voice reading the classifieds, made so famous by James Alexander Gordon.
“She is a broadcaster of true calibre and I know she will bring clarity and warmth to the role.”
Despite many years of distinguished service for Radio 4, Green famously suffered a fit of giggles whilst reading a segment on the Today programme (listen below).
