Jeff Stelling has shared a sweet post for his daughter Olivia who is graduating from Manchester University today with first class honours.
The former Sky Sports presenter, 71, announced earlier this year he would be taking a few weeks off air to ‘relax’ during a break from his talkSPORT show, but it was later revealed he was actually filming a TV show with his son.
He has since returned to the show, but this week he is attending his daughter’s graduation, as the host shared his pride over her achievement on X on Monday.
Alongside a photograph of them together, he said: ‘Very proud of my daughter Olivia. Collect first class degree at Manchester tomorrow!’
The photo he chose to post on social media showed Jeff and Olivia, 22, sat in a restaurant together smiling at the camera.
Earlier this year, Jeff announced that he would be taking a break from hosting his talkSPORT show.
Jeff, who left Sky Sports in 2023, stepped away from hosting the 6-10am breakfast show between Monday and Wednesday for an ‘extended break’, as talkSPORT put it.
Jeff Stelling has shared a sweet post for his daughter Olivia who is graduating from Manchester University today with first class honours
Alongside a photograph of them together, he said: ‘Very proud of my daughter Olivia. Collect first class degree at Manchester tomorrow!’
They were reassured at the time that his absence is nothing to do with his health.
Jeff told listeners at the time: ‘We’ve had so many texts [on today’s show] that I’m going to have to take a break, which is what I’m going to do for the next two or three weeks.’
‘I’m just going to chill out for a bit of rest and relaxation. I’ll see you when I’m back.’
It was later revealed that he was actually taking part in Celebrity Race Across The World alongside his son Matthew, which was filmed earlier this year.
They competed against other celebrities including Katie Price and Peter Andre’s children, Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, according to a report in The Sun.
The programme is due to air later this year, although the BBC has yet to confirm a date.
A source told The Sun: ‘Jeff absolutely loves a challenge and when he was approached by the BBC to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World, he went for it. He entered with his son Matt and they had a blast together.
‘The BBC know it’s a coup to get Jeff in the competition as he’s so well respected in the football world.’
Earlier this year, Jeff announced that he would be taking a break from hosting his talkSPORT show
The Hartlepool United superfan has also hosted Countdown on Channel 4 and fronted an ITV game show called Alphabetical.
Daily Mail Sport exclusively interviewed Jeff at the beginning of the year and he spoke of how he intends to carry on presenting for many years.
Jeff recently launched a major sports podcast titled The Jeff Stelling Show in partnership with the betting community platform OLBG.
He told us: ‘I love it. I feel exactly the same as I did when I was in my mid-30s, my mid-40s, my mid-50s. I don’t see any reason to stop. As long as people ask me to do it, I’m going to carry on.
‘People will tell me, ‘you’re an old fart, you’re out of touch with modern views,’ and sometimes they do now! Sometimes I get called a dinosaur – a pet hate, by the way. If anybody texts me, do not call me a dinosaur! It doesn’t matter if I’m 70 and you’re 17. Our opinions have got equal merit.’
He added: ‘It was an opportunity to do a podcast which wasn’t just sports-based but to find out a little bit about people’s lives.
‘It will be people from the world of sport but we may not concentrate on which games and trophies they’ve won. I’d like to hear their back story. In this day and age, they’re so managed that we hear their answers about that game, that race, that match, but we don’t necessarily know them as human beings.’
Jeff’s alarm goes off at 4.30am for his morning show with talkSPORT but he has lost none of his energy or enthusiasm.
It was later revealed that he was actually taking part in Celebrity Race Across The World alongside his son Matthew, which was filmed earlier this year
Jeff is best known for his long tenure presenting Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, leaving the broadcaster in 2023 after 29 years in the role.
He has since presented talkSPORT’s Breakfast show on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-10am alongside Ally McCoist.
He also made a cameo appearance in the hit Apple TV series Ted Lasso. And in 2023, he was made an MBE for fundraising and campaigning for prostate cancer charities.‘
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