TNT Sports will reportedly hand Des Kelly’s pitchside reporter role to Jules Breach as part of the broadcaster’s rebrand from BT Sport.
TNT Sports is the name given to a new entity formed from BT Sport and Eurosport following a takeover by Warner Brothers Discovery in May 2022. It has taken over all of BT Sport’s broadcasting rights, including Premier League and Champions League football.
Like rival Sky Sports, TNT Sports plans to undergo a major overhaul of its offering ahead of the 2023/24 season. Kelly has followed long-serving presenter Jake Humphrey in leaving the channel and his replacement is being lined up.
Kelly was a familiar face on our screens, often tasked with interviewing players and managers in the aftermath of matches. His clashes with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp were particularly memorable, while he signed off by asking for Ilkay Gundogan to sign an armband following Manchester City ’s Champions League triumph.
The Daily Mail says Kelly will be replaced by Breach in the upcoming season. The 39-year-old was the presenter of BT Sport Score – the channel’s Saturday afternoon results show, which was axed at the end of the season. She will now step into a new role as an interviewer at live matches.
Breach worked for BT Sport for several years and has also worked for Channel 4 on their football coverage recently. She is seen as a safe pair of hands, but also fits into TNT Sports’ desire to make their programming less male-dominated.
Humphrey is set to be replaced by Laura Woods as the lead presenter, while Lynsey Hipgrave will also present Premier League matches. TNT Sports reportedly feels that BT’s offering was sometimes guilty of being too ‘laddish’ in its tone, with Humphrey often accompanied by the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch, Joe Cole and Glenn Hoddle.
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They therefore want to promote the likes of Karen Carney as a pundit and Lucy Ward as a co-commentator. While Woods, 35, is the first choice to replace Humphrey after leaving her role as breakfast show presenter with talkSPORT, she is yet to formally agree.
"I know, I've seen a lot of articles, but I haven't signed anything,” she told The Sun recently. "There are a couple of offers, but I've got a glorious month off now where I can sit down and start planning the next things. I don't want to rush into anything, I've never been able to have that privilege in my life before. Never.”
Sky are also reshaping their offering for the 2023/24 season, with Graeme Souness, Jeff Stelling, Martin Tyler and Geoff Shreeves among those leaving their roles. The broadcaster has also cancelled the long-running show Soccer AM in an effort to target a younger audience.
