I never ever thought he was an older dad,” says Sue. “He was fit and healthy. I mean even while he was in his 60s, we were climbing Haytor on Dartmoor together, waving to Mum... and he was a wonderful, wonderful dad.”

She began her career with Channel 7 in 1985, mostly anchoring tennis coverage for British Sky Broadcasting from 1990 to 1993. In addition, she hosted Today at Wimbledon, A Question of Sport, and other shows during her broadcasting career.Sue Barker was only 17 when she won her first top-level singles title and three additional titles followed by three additional titles in 1975. Caption: Sue Barker and Lance Tankard (Source: Yours Magazine)

She thinks that hotel may also be where she ended up leaving the medal. Years later she received a photo of herself from a Frenchman who had been at the final, and also a video tape from a man in the United States who had recorded a news item about her win, so she does at least now have a couple of mementos.Barker describes the start of her tennis story as like something from a Hollywood movie - for reasons that will soon become clear. There were some painful defeats along the way, and injury heartbreak too. But a mysterious phone call would open up a whole new chapter in retirement - leading to a unique perspective on her sport, and the life she's led in it. After retiring from tennis, Sue Barker became a commentator and sports reporter for Australia’s Channel 7 in 1985 and later went on to cover tennis for British Sky Broadcasting in 1990.

Barker has branched out since joining the BBC, becoming one of their chief sports presenters. She was one of the presenters of Grandstand and the presenter of the long-running sports quiz show A Question of Sport [5] ( QoS) since 1997, having succeeded David Coleman. She retired as QoS presenter following the BBC's decision to revamp the show, having recorded her last episode in September 2020. [22] She was a host of the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony from 1994 to 2012 before stepping down in 2013. [23]Sue recalls that when she was 17, Arthur Roberts told her that she had outgrown the UK. He advised her to move to the USA to join the growing women’s tennis circuit there. In 1982, Barker met singer Cliff Richard. Their four-month-long [33] romance attracted considerable media attention after Richard flew to Denmark to watch her play in a tennis match and they were photographed cuddling and holding hands at Wimbledon. [36] [37] In 1988, Richard said of his former romance with Barker: "We were closer than just friends. She's the only person with whom I've had that sort of relationship." He said that one of the things which made up his mind not to marry her was when she got upset because he hadn't told her who he was seeing that day. Richard said: "I suddenly realised that in a marriage you don't live for yourself." [38] Richard said in 2008 that he had come close to asking her to marry him. He said: "I seriously contemplated asking her to marry me, but in the end I realised that I didn't love her quite enough to commit the rest of my life to her." [39] This is the remarkable life story of a tennis champion, an award-winning broadcaster who has brought sporting history into our living rooms for decades, and a trail-blazing woman who has always called the shots.