BBC decide Andrew Castle replacement for Wimbledon lead presenter
Tennis fans wait overnight in Wimbledon queue
Andrew Castle will step down as BBC's lead presenter at Wimbledon after this summer
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Andrew Cotter is expected to commentate on next year's Wimbledon men's final in place of the departing Andrew Castle.
The 52-year-old Scottish broadcaster, whose BBC portfolio spans golf, rugby union and athletics, will step into the lead commentary role following Castle's exit after this summer's championship.
Cotter hosted Sir Andy Murray's national theatre tour last year and built a substantial social media audience during the Covid lockdown through comedic videos featuring his labradors, Olive and Mabel.
The appointment should reassure viewers who value Cotter's experience and understated style, though questions remain about whether this constitutes the significant "change of direction" the BBC had signalled.

Andrew Cotter will take over Andrew Castle's duties for the BBC
|GETTY
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski confirmed on Tuesday at Wimbledon that he had offered Castle a continued role despite removing him as lead commentator.
The 62-year-old chose to walk away rather than accept a diminished position.
"We asked Andrew to stay, because we think he's excellent. He's been doing this for 20 years, and he took the decision that that's enough," Kay-Jelski said.
The BBC sports chief described Castle's two-decade contribution as "an absolutely brilliant innings" and confirmed the conversation about his final men's final was conducted "face to face, done nicely."
Castle told the Telegraph he was upset by how his BBC career was drawing to a close. He had been informed that this summer would mark his final men's final, with only a scaled-down role available thereafter.

Andrew Castle will no longer lead the BBC's commentary at Wimbledon after this year
| GETTY"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," Castle said.
The veteran commentator, who first worked on Wimbledon in 2002, indicated he would have preferred to depart in 2027, which would have marked a quarter-century with the broadcaster. He has since received two job offers for work during the tournament with other organisations.

The BBC is also introducing fresh elements to its Wimbledon coverage this year.
Former British number one Laura Robson will deliver analysis from a courtside position, beginning with Serena Williams' return match against Australia's Maya Joint on Tuesday afternoon.
"It's good insight for BBC Wimbledon viewers. It's something new, it's something different. I think we should just try stuff. We shouldn't be scared to try," Kay-Jelski explained.
The 32-year-old Robson, who works with Wimbledon's player relations team, is understood to be central to the BBC's future plans, with presentation duties likely on the horizon.





