'Every week I was fighting a battle' - Ex-Soccer Saturday presenter Jeff Stelling opens up on health struggles before leaving flagship Sky Sports show

The iconic Sky Sports broadcaster disclosed that his extended tenure on Soccer Saturday took a toll on his health, prompting his decision to step down from the show at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. He was the face of the show for over 25 years as he became a household name for his scathing wit banter with his fellow pundits.

In an interview with The Guardian, he said: "Soccer Saturday used to be distinctive and we had a great team of reporters who would do off-the-wall features. But it reached the point where I would go home Saturday [after the show] and never go out with my wife or family because I was so worn out. Sunday, I felt ill with the stress and that extended into Monday and I’d start work on the next show on Tuesday still feeling stressed out. All the time you were flat on the floorboards just to keep the show afloat.

“I’m almost ashamed to say it because my dad worked in a steelworks and would come back from his shift covered in grime and muck and absolutely exhausted. He would never have allowed me to say I was shattered after a TV show. But I felt it was making me ill so I had to step away.”

The Soccer Saturday cull in 2020, which saw the departure of close friends and contributors like Phil Thompson, Matt Le Tissier, and Charlie Nicholas, added to Stelling's emotional burden. Stelling felt that some of his views were disregarded and was concerned with the show's evolving direction.

“I had the most fantastic run on the show; I made the greatest mates and was paid well for one of the best jobs in the world. But the show was heading in a direction which meant it wasn’t quite the same," he said.

“Even though I’d been there a long time, I felt some of my views weren’t considered at all. Every week I was fighting a battle. I got tired of fighting and it was making me ill. Eventually, I went to Sky’s management and said: ‘This is making me unwell. I’ve got to step away from it."

Since leaving Sky, Stelling has taken on a new role as the host of talkSPORT's breakfast show. Additionally, he was honoured with an MBE in the New Year's Honours list for his significant contributions to sports, broadcasting, and charity.