Gabby Logan is set to host Match of the Day for the first time since the death of her father Terry Yorath. Logan returned to work earlier in January to front Champions League coverage.
The 52-year-old was one of three presenters chosen to take up the reins of the hit BBC show after the departure of Gary Lineker. Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman share hosting duties.
On January 7, Logan was leading the programme when she received a phone call and had to leave swiftly, with Chapman stepping in. News broke the following morning that her father, former Leeds United and Wales midfielder Yorath, had sadly passed away at the age of 75.
After a compassionate hiatus, Logan returned to our screens on January 20, presenting Amazon Prime’s coverage of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan. But it now appears she’ll step back into her role on Match of the Day.
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According to the BBC website’s show description, Logan is set to host the highlights programme on January 31, featuring the best bits from Saturday’s Premier League fixtures. These matches include Leeds vs Arsenal, Chelsea vs West Ham and Brighton vs Everton.
This will be the first time Logan has been front and centre on the show since her father’s passing. Yorath was laid to rest on January 26 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Leeds.
After her TV comeback earlier in January, Logan admitted she had some nerves about returning to her day job, as her last appearance had come just before she received a phone call about her ill father. Logan was rushed off air with a “family emergency” given as the initial reason.
Speaking on her The Sports Agents podcast alongside colleague Chapman, Logan spoke openly about her emotions after the Champions League tie. She said: “Got back in the saddle last night at San Siro.
“I won’t pretend it was easy. The last time I was presenting a football show I received a phone call that has rocked our world. So there were unfamiliar nerves and a bit of trepidation travelling to Milan.
“But the football family are so lovely and it was, in the end, great to be back doing what I love so much and of course Arsenal gave us a great story to tell.
“In the two weeks since Dad’s passing, football really has been a force for good in our lives. The community is strong and really shows up when it needs to and we won’t ever forget that.”
The day after her father’s passing, Logan shared a heartfelt tribute. She stated: “We knew he had limited time, but it is still a shock. Yesterday afternoon (Wednesday January 7) I sat by his bed in St James Hospital Leeds and we had a debate about whether roast potatoes were better with calves’ liver than mashed potatoes.
“That was the meal he’d decided he wanted when he went home tomorrow (Friday January 9). I left and went to work, he was looking forward to watching Newcastle v his beloved Leeds. He won’t go home tomorrow. But he is reunited with Daniel (Logan’s brother who died aged 15) and that will feel like home.”
