GABBY LOGAN has revealed the vile sexist abuse she suffered as a young presenter including a crude jibe from a well-known TV host that left her “dying inside”.
The Match of the Day star, now 52, has become one of Britain’s most respected sports broadcasters but says her rise through the ranks wasn’t always smooth.
In her explosive new memoir The First Half, Gabby opens up about the toxic culture she faced as a 23-year-old rookie at Sky Sports.
She recalls one shocking moment when a male presenter shouted across the newsroom: “Oi, Yorath! How many Premier League footballers have you notched up on your bedpost?”
Gabby, then fresh-faced and new to the job, says she smiled and walked on but was crushed inside.
She wrote:“I lacked the verbal elasticity to knock him out with a witty retort but Inside, I was dying.”
It wasn’t the only inappropriate comment she endured.
On another occasion, an older rugby league presenter made a sickening remark about her body.
He said: “Your a*** is amazing right now but sadly for you, it’s one of those a**** that will be by your knees when you hit 30.”
Gabby hit back the best she could, replying: “Well, you might find out, if you’re even still around when I’m 30.”
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Despite the abuse, Gabby doesn’t believe sports media was uniquely toxic, saying the sexism she faced was part of a wider culture at the time.
She wrote: “To be clear, sports TV wasn’t a cesspit while the rest of the world was virtuous.
“I’d have heard the same idiotic stuff in a law firm or a trading floor.”
She added that the industry was dominated by egos and testosterone, with 90% of technical and production roles held by men.
But Gabby kept going, determined to prove her worth on-screen and force change from the inside out.
She explained: “It’s like turning a tanker.
“The first movement is slow but eventually the whole boat comes with you.”
Now leading Champions League coverage for Amazon and stepping into Gary Lineker’s Match of the Day role alongside Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, Gabby is finally getting the respect she deserves.
But behind the polished studio presence is a woman who fought hard to earn her place and didn’t let the old boys’ club break her.
