SPORTS anchor Rishi Persad revealed how a “shiver went down my spine” after he witnessed a missile attack while live on air at a Dubai horseracing meeting.
The Wimbledon presenter told The Sun: “The cameramen filming myself and co-presenter Angus McNae were looking into the sky and mouthing, ‘Oh s**t’.
“So we turned around and saw something looking like a red light fizzing through the sky and then we heard explosions.
“There was one particularly loud explosion that really sent a shiver down my spine.
“But the racing just carried on and we carried on doing our job.”
Dad-of-one Rishi is desperate to return to the UK for his wife Holly’s 50th birthday on Friday and to undertake presenting duties for ITV at the Cheltenham Festival from Monday.
The 52-year-old – who also covers the Olympics, golf and snooker for the BBC – added: “Holly and my 15-year-old daughter Evie are understandably a bit worried.
“They’ve never had to think about my safety when I’ve been abroad before.
“I’d love to be home for Holly’s birthday and hope that it’s not an issue getting to Cheltenham. ITV are fully aware of the situation.”
Fellow ITV racing presenter Megan Nicholls – daughter of 14-time champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls – has also been stranded in Dubai.
Rishi, from Little Bookham in Surrey, had been due to fly home on Sunday. Since then he’s seen the cancellation of a series of flights for which he had reservations.
Now he’s pinning his hopes that a flight he’s booked on for Thursday afternoon will get clearance to take off, adding: “There’s no contingency plan.”
Rishi had flown out from Britain last Thursday to cover the Super Saturday meeting at Dubai’s Meydan racecourse for Racing TV.
It was fellow presenter Megan who broke the news to him that war had broken out.
He added: “I had no idea what was going on until I met Megan in the hotel lobby to get a taxi to the racecourse.
“She said, ‘Have you seen what’s happening around the Gulf?’ I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s not great’.
“Then when we got to the racecourse, a few more people were talking about what they’d heard and seen. Some then started suggesting that the meeting might be in danger.
“It was mid-Saturday afternoon and, very quickly, I understand the Dubai Racing Club had spoken to officials in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and then assured us that it would be safe to continue.
“However, they did say that if there was any member of our crew who felt unsafe or anybody that felt that they didn’t want to be there, then they would try and accommodate them as best as possible.”
As the race meeting progressed into the evening, Rishi heard reports that Dubai landmarks including Fairmont The Palm and the Burj Al Arab hotels as well as the airport had been hit by missiles or falling debris.
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Yet, he was reassured when Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum arrived at the race meeting.
Rishi added: “I was on air all the time and couldn’t really get a handle on what was going on.
“So you’re hearing all these things while you’re working and getting a little bit scared, understandably.
“But then you see His Highness Sheikh Mohammed turn up and that actually just calms the temperature down somewhat because you’re thinking, ‘Well, if he’s come to the races, then it must be safe’.”
Kicking his heels as he waited for a flight home, Rishi added: “There are explosions and missiles being fired and they’re being intercepted.
“But I feel relatively safe in our hotel which is a little bit away from the coast.
“Obviously, there’s a long list of people who need to get back home so it’s just a question of waiting with fingers crossed.”
