I’m not a huge horse racing fan – a day at the races is fun, likewise a bet on the Grand National. However, BBC commentator John Hunt’s voice is a crucial part of my weekend listening. He appears througout Five Live Sport on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Today, he was struck by tragedy, the scale of which most us cannot imagine. His wife Carol, and daughters Hannah and Louise Hunt died following an obscene attack.
With a huge sporting summer in progress, media has been paying tribute to John Hunt. BBC colleague Mark Chapman said that he sent his “love and thoughts” after the “heartbreaking day”. Chapman lost his wife to illness and his voice was breaking as he introduced the show tonight.
ITV’s Mark Pougatch paid tribute at halftime of England’s last gasp win over the Netherlands at Euro 2024. His thoughts were echoed by the commentary team. Former England forward and racing lover Michael Owen tweeted:
Indeed, almost any organisation associated with racing issued statements of love and support.
Obviously, sport is totally and utterly irrelevant in light of a gruesome attack. Sophy Ridge on Sky News rightly gave some broader context.
Following this latest tragedy, yet another horror against women, the sports broadcasting community rallied around one of their own. Everyone is thinking of John Hunt, his wife and daughters, tonight.
