Olympics host Hazel Irvine talks 'challenging' time on TV in bid 'to be taken seriously'

Hazel Irvine said she was the first woman in the UK to "fully anchor" a dedicated football programme (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images) Olympics 2024 presenter Hazel Irvine has opened up about the challenges of being a professional "curiosity" back in the 1980s. The BBC sports presenter, 59, was one of just a few women working in the male-dominated world of sports broadcasting after joining the profession in 1987. She revealed to Happiful Magazine that she was the first woman in the UK to "fully anchor" a dedicated football programme, and explained how she overcame the various challenges.

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"I was the.