Helen Chamberlain turned her back on TV fame for life on a farm, Tim Lovejoy serves up Sunday Brunch and Max Rushden works away from the cameras: as Soccer AM is AXED after 30 years on air, where are the 12 presenters that led the show now?
- Bosses allegedly made the decision to axe the popular Saturday morning show
- It will be replaced by Saturday Social intended to appeal to a younger audience
- Soccer AM was hosted by the iconic pair Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy
Soccer AM has reportedly been cancelled by Sky Sports after almost 30 years on the air.
Bosses allegedly made the decision to axe the popular Saturday morning show on Tuesday, with 10 episodes left before it is taken off air.
‘Soccer AM has played an important role in our coverage of football for the past three decades, and we continually adapt to the evolving needs of our customers,’ a Sky spokesperson told The Mirror.
‘We now go into a period of consultation to discuss the proposed changes with our people. We are unable to provide more detail while these consultations are underway.’
From radio DJ Russ Williams to iconic hosts Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain, the football show had 12 presenters – but where are they now? Sportmail takes a look…
Former hosts Helen Chamberlain and Russ Williams mark the 20th anniversary of Sky Sports
Chamberlain became synonymous with Soccer AM along with former co-host Tim Lovejoy
Jane Hoffen (1995)
Jane Robertson was part of the original launch team in 1995 and was the only other female presenter to have hosted Soccer AM.
She moved into PR after a successful career as a national broadcaster under her maiden name of Hoffen.
Jane covered numerous international sporting events including a World Cup and Ryder Cup.
She was also part of the BBC team that won a BAFTA for its coverage of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
In 2001 she moved to Scotland where she worked for BBC Scotland as a sport and news presenter.
She now works as the director of communications for Frog Systems – a company that specialises in early first line employee wellbeing support.
Russ Williams (1995–96)
Russ Williams presented alongside Helen Chamberlain in Soccer AM’s maiden season.
He was a member of the show’s original presenting line-up, which also included Jane Hoffen and Gary A. Stevens.
Williams left Soccer AM after just one season and was replaced by Tim Lovejoy.
He next presented Sky Sports live Nationwide Football coverage before ITV asked him to become one of their anchor presenters.
Williams has also presented ITV’s Snooker, Italian Football, Boxing and The Champions League, and he voiced The Premiership every week.
The Tottenham supporter is best known for his career as a radio DJ and was admitted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame in 2013.
He hosted Saturday Scoreboard on talkSPORT after leaving Global Radio in 2018 and now hosts three shows across the Nation Radio UK network.
Gary A. Stevens (1995–96)
Gary Andrew Stevens is a former defender who played for Brighton, Tottenham and Portsmouth and won seven caps for England.
Former England defender Gary A. Stevens (R) joined the original Soccer AM presenting line-up
Following retirement, he joined the original Soccer AM presenting line-up and also worked for talkSPORT radio.
He then assisted Arsenal legend Tony Adams in Azerbaijan at FC Gabala, before coaching Sligo Rovers in 2013.
Stevens now works as a presenter on Astro SuperSport in Malaysia with former England teammate Steve McMahon.
Helen Chamberlain (1995–2017)
Helen Chamberlain became synonymous with the show during its early inception along with former co-host Tim Lovejoy.
She began on the football show in 1995 alongside Lovejoy and continued presenting when he left in 2007.
Since leaving Soccer AM, Chamberlain has presented a host of darts events including Sunday’s Women’s World Matchplay and the inaugural World Seniors Darts Championship.
Chamberlain joined in 1995 alongside Lovejoy and continued presenting when he left in 2007
She told the Athletic in 2020 about life on her farm after presenting the show for 22 years.
Chamberlain said: ‘I spent nearly half my life sitting on that sofa. I was there for nearly 23 years.
‘That’s a long time to have any job, never mind a job in broadcasting. I had the farm to see to.
‘I wanted to rescue more dogs and breed sheep and chickens. So I didn’t have time for Saturday mornings anymore.’
Tim Lovejoy (1996–2007)
Tim Lovejoy replaced Russ Williams two years in and hosted the show through until 2007.
Lovejoy was succeeded by Andy Goldstein, and later Max Rushden. He would regularly cause havoc in one of the many segments he came up with.
At one stage he was offering £5 to any fan who turned up at a match with a ‘Lovejoy is a Legend’ banner.
That was soon abandoned as banners appeared at multiple games and costs were piling up.
The car park game, fans of the week, and the Soccerette – a feature where a young female modelled a kit of her team – were among the most notable segments.
After leaving Soccer AM, Lovejoy hosted BBC Radio 5 Live’s 6-0-6 on a Wednesday night.
He currently hosts Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch alongside chef Simon Rimmer, which he has done since 2012.
Lovejoy currently hosts Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch alongside chef Simon Rimmer
Andy Goldstein (2007–08)
Andy Goldstein replaced Tim Lovejoy to become the main host for the show in 2007.
But within a year, Soccer AM’s All-Stars show was shut down.
He previously worked with Sky Sports presenting coverage of several events including Premier League Snooker, 9-ball pool and the 10-pin bowling Weber Cup.
Goldstein currently hosts talkSPORT’s radio show Drive along with The Sports Bar.
Max Rushden (2008–2015)
Max Rushden left BBC London 94.9’s breakfast show to join Soccer AM.
He presented the Saturday morning show alongside Helen Chamberlain from 2008 until 2015.
Rushden has a weekly Sunday show with Barry Glendenning on talkSPORT and has also worked for BBC Radio 5 Live.
He is the current host of The Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast.
Max Rushden the Saturday morning show alongside Helen Chamberlain from 2008 until 2015
Lloyd Griffith (2017–2019)
Lloyd Griffith is a comedian who performed as tour support for Rob Beckett and Jack Whitehall.
When Helen Chamberlain left Soccer AM, the show attempted a re-brand with Griffith and Jimmy Bullard. He co-hosted for two years.
He also fronted his own critically acclaimed BBC documentary Can You Meet The Bookies.
In the show he embarked on an experiment to find if he could uncover the secrets of gambling success and the truth about the industry.
You may have seen him most recently in Apple TV’s Ted Lasso, Not Going Out and It’s A Sin.
John Fendley (2015–present), Dave Naughton (2015–present), Rob Stewart (2015–present) and Jimmy Bullard (2017–present)
More recent iterations of the show have been hosted by John Fendley, who got involved in 2015 when Rushden left.
Former Hull City and Wigan Athletic midfielder Jimmy Bullard started in 2017.
And don’t forget Tubes!
Chelsea fan Tubes is a popular character on the Sky show.
He is known for interviewing guests, including film stars, sports people and musicians, by asking ‘one question and one question only’.
Some Of Tubes’ Catchphrases include ‘Sickening’ ‘Sick’ and ‘Sickness’.
In 2018, the TV presenter, whose real name is Peter Dale, suffered a ‘very unexpected major heart attack’ at the age of 35.
Chelsea fan Tubes is a popular character on the Sky show and is known for interviewing guests
He also opened up to fans about his battle with alcoholism, via a revealing post on his Instagram account.
Alongside a picture of him being restrained by police officers, he wrote: ‘2017 (and half of 2016) have been the best years of my life because I finally admitted I’m highly addicted to alcohol and enough was enough and had to stop.
‘Just wanted to say a massive thanks to everyone for all your kind words and support, it’s massively appreciated and keeps me strong. Hope everyone has an amazing 2018. Big love legends xxx.’
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