Sue Barker set to leave A Question of Sport in revamp of BBC quiz show – Telegraph.co.uk

A Question of Sport pulls in around three million viewers to its Friday evening slot, but more than forty per cent are over the age of 65, and only ten per cent of its audience fall within the coveted 16-to-34 demographic.

The tender document says that bidders should think of ways to bring a “broader audience” onboard, claiming that 16 to 34-year-olds “love the banter”. It adds that there should also be greater efforts to share “humorous moments” on social media.

Miriam O’Reilly, who won a landmark ageism case against the BBC after being axed from Countryfile, said that replacing Barker with a younger presenter would be a “disgrace”.

She said: “I would be astounded if they took such a talented broadcaster as Sue Barker off our screens.

“The BBC is not listening to its audiences, who want to see older women on screen. What is it going to take to get them to change? This kind of thing has got them into trouble before.”