The BBC has pulled the plug on Ski Sunday, bringing nearly half a century of winter sports broadcasting to a close and leaving presenter Chemmy Alcott “absolutely gutted” by the decision.
The beloved programme, which first graced British television screens in 1978, had become a staple of the sporting calendar for generations of viewers.
Alcott, a four-time Olympian who is 44, shared her heartbreak on Instagram, declaring that the show had been woven into the fabric of her life for 39 years.
The corporation confirmed the cancellation on Monday, with the former alpine ski racer telling BBC Breakfast she had only been informed of the axe shortly before the public announcement was made.
Former Olympics star Chemmy Alcott presented Ski Sunday on the BBC
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The decision has provoked a fierce backlash from loyal viewers.
Alcott revealed that the programme had ignited her ambitions when she was just five years old. “As a family, we’d huddle around the fire every Sunday, waiting for that iconic music,” she recalled. “It shaped every turn, every decision and every day that followed.”
The former racer spoke of the immense pride she felt whenever she appeared on the programme as a competitor, representing her country on the slopes.
Following an injury-enforced retirement from racing, the show offered her a new purpose. “Ski Sunday showed me I was more than just a racer,” she said.
She began co-presenting alongside Ed Leigh in 2021, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. “As a little girl I had two dreams: to win at the Olympics and to present Ski Sunday,” she confessed. “I fought with everything for the first and didn’t quite get there. But I achieved the second.”
The BBC have made some brutal decisions on their sports coverage already this year
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Alcott made no secret of her anguish that the programme fell just two years short of a landmark half-century on air. “I desperately wanted us to reach that 50th year,” she said. “I wanted another generation of kids to hear that music and think: maybe I could do that.”
She described the presenting role as her “greatest privilege” and said it “will always be one of my proudest achievements.”
Throughout its long history, the weekly programme served as a vital showcase for alpine skiing talent and the wider world of snow sports, bringing the drama of the mountains into living rooms across Britain.
Its cancellation marks the end of an era for a show that inspired countless young Britons to dream of the slopes.
Viewers responded with fury, with one fan accusing the “BBC making the wrong decisions with the money the British public fund for this organisation.” Another mourned the loss, recalling childhood memories of pretending to ski in the living room with their father.
The corporation attributed the axe to shifting viewing patterns and the need to find savings. Bosses stated that BBC Sport must constantly assess how it provides value for those paying the licence fee.
Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sport Events, acknowledged the programme’s iconic status but insisted difficult choices were unavoidable. “As audience viewing habits evolve and we work to deliver value for licence fee payers, we have to make tough choices,” he said, adding that the BBC remained committed to covering winter sport, particularly the Winter Olympics.