Dan Walker has announced that he will step down as the presenter of the BBC’s Football Focus at the end of the 2020/21 season.
He has fronted the corporation’s flagship Saturday lunchtime football magazine show since the beginning of the 2009/10 season, taking over from Manish Bhasin after he left to front The Football League Show for the BBC.
Walker, 44, is one of the longest-serving presenters in the show’s 47-year history and his final show, after 12 years at the helm, is set to air on Saturday, 22 May.
He will remain as one of the BBC’s main sports presenters, including at the forthcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, as well as continue to front BBC Breakfast. He recently took over from Mark Chapman as host of the BBC’s NFL Show.
In a video posted on Twitter, Walker said:
“This is going to be my last season presenting Football Focus. It has been a real pleasure, an amazing 12 years and I can honestly say I have loved every single second of it.
“I am so proud of the job we’ve done, the changes we’ve made and issues we’ve looked at, while the football landscape changed immeasurably. But, after 12 years it’s time for someone else to take the reins.
“I’d like to say thank you to the amazing team at Focus who put so much into the show each week and thank you to the audience for tuning in every Saturday.”
Walker also hinted at “further exciting opportunities” to come and would be revealing those shortly.
His 12-year stint makes him the second longest-serving presenter of the show after Bob Wilson, who fronted the programme between 1974 and 1994, when it formed part of the BBC’s Grandstand.
Commenting on Walker’s departure from the show, Philip Bernie, Head of TV at BBC Sport, said:
“Dan has been exceptional as presenter of Football Focus for the last 12 years.
“He is a top-class broadcaster who has brought authority, wit and fun to the show, always working so well with such warmth with the guests on the show.
“We are extremely grateful for all he given to Focus, and will continue to enjoy watching him on the BBC’s sport output as well as the wider BBC.”
The next presenter of Football Focus will be confirmed by the BBC in due course.
A little announcement… pic.twitter.com/5mqmUpIhYv
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) April 8, 2021
