STEPHEN HENDRY will be the main figurehead of snooker on Channel 5 next year.
Scotland’s seven-time world champion is part of the on-screen talent that will work on three free-to-air events in 2026.
Channel 5 are taking over the broadcast rights from ITV for the Players Championship and Tour Championship – which are staged before next spring’s Crucible World Championship – and then the British Open in a “landmark new deal”.
ITV Sport Production – which has experience of staging live rugby union and horseracing fixtures – will act as the producer of these prestigious ranking events on terrestrial television.
Former snooker stars and broadcasters had been waiting for months to hear who would form the new team, following the announcement of the switch of channels last June.
It has now emerged that Hendry, 56, who has won the same number of world titles as Ronnie O’Sullivan, will be the main expert in the new-look line-up.
Hendry, who also works on the BBC Triple Crown events, is the nearest snooker has to a straight-talking, no-nonsense Roy Keane figure.
Someone who says what they want and can annoy the leading players with their abrasive comments but has the medals to back up what they say.
Katie Shanahan, a former international hockey player, will present live coverage of snooker on 5 and has experience of working for the BBC, Sky Sports and talkSPORT.
Other members of the team include former Masters winner Alan McManus, active pro Steven Hallworth and respected commentator David Hendon.
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It is not known if Ken Doherty, the 1997 world champion, and Neal Foulds, former world No3, who were both analysts for ITV, will have a role next year.
Jill Douglas, who had anchored the snooker on ITV for more than a decade, is no longer involved in these specific tournaments.
Yet the Scottish journalist could front the Champion of Champions, which is on ITV but is organised by Matchroom Sport, not the World Snooker Tour.
Hendry played in the recent Crucible Cup in Reading but his days of being on the baize appear to be behind him – with a microphone not a cue in his hand going forward.
