BBC host dropped by broadcaster for tournament that begins this week

Chris Hughes has been axed from his BBC presenting gig in a major shake-up of presenters, reports claim. The ex-Love Island contestant had been fronting the cricket competition The Hundred since its inception in 2021. It appears that Hughes won't be reprising his presenting duties this year as The Hundred kicks off on Tuesday with a match between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles at Lord's.

Both the BBC and Sky Sports hold broadcasting rights for the event, and it seems the focus is shifting towards the sport itself rather than celebrity-led entertainment. According to The Sun, a BBC spokesperson stated: "Chris has done a good job for four years, but we're going in a different direction. There will be more focus on the cricket this year, rather than promoting the Hundred as an entertainment show.

"Former England cricketers Alex Hartley and Isa Guha and will lead the presenting team, as they know the sport inside out. Rick Edwards from Radio Five Live will be used in the Chris Hughes role."

This marks the second sports presenting role Hughes has lost recently; in April, news broke that he was parting ways with ITV Racing after six years.

Hughes' cricket presenting career hit turbulence in 2023 when he received a formal reprimand from the BBC for making comments deemed "not appropriate" after describing a female cricketer on air as "a little Barbie".

All-rounder Mailan Brown, who represented the Southern Brave team, was discussing how her squad had watched the Barbie film as a bonding exercise. She explained: "We watched Barbie the other night all together and it was really good team bonding."

Hughes then replied: "You're a little Barbie yourself, aren't you, with your blue eyes."

Brown laughed as he continued: "She's blushing now."

His remarks sparked backlash online, prompting a BBC spokesperson to state: "We have spoken to Chris and explained that his comment was not appropriate."

Hughes subsequently returned to BBC duties the following year.

He initially rose to prominence through his appearance on Love Island. He developed a connection with Olivia Attwood at the time, though their romance was short-lived.

He has since featured on numerous reality programmes, most recently Celebrity Big Brother. It was here that he met his current girlfriend JoJo Siwa, with the pair hitting it off immediately during filming.

The duo appeared to maintain a friendship throughout the show, but once the cameras stopped rolling, they decided to pursue a romantic relationship.