BBC favourite A Question of Sport has saw its ratings struggle significantly since veteran lead Sue Barker was replaced a number of years ago.
Peak viewing figures for the UK staple have dropped to 850,000 for this season, the second since Top Gear's Paddy McGuinness was brought in to replace the original host.
At its lowest point, a mere 730,000 viewers tuned into the sport panel show on August 19, with cores of four to five million when 66-year-old Sue was at the helm.
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The Mirror reports that Sue presented the show for 24 years, but was famously axed in 2020 along with team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell. In a bid to refresh the classic quizzer, Paddy, 49, took Sue's spot the following year - with hockey player Sam Quek and rugby's Ugo Monye making up the new respective team captains.
Sue admitted that she was 'angry' and 'insulted' by the BBC's handling of her exit after more than two decades committed to the show. The former tennis star said that although she had no problem with being replaced because 'everyone has their day' it was more in the way it was handled.
She added that the whole episode taught her that there was 'no way of leaving a role in a nice, pleasant manner with your head held high'. Just before the trio's exit, Sue says she was 'sent a statement that the BBC wanted me to approve immediately, saying the three of us had decided to step aside'.
As it wasn't their decision at all Sue said they 'point-blank refused' to sign the statement. In her new book, extracts of which have been published by MailOnline, Sue says the BBC then requested that "I announce that I was leaving for the good of the show. Was that because I was too old or not good enough?
“Either way, it was insulting. Did they expect me to sack myself?”
After telling the BBC to 'own their decision and declare publicly that they wanted to refresh the show', the rollercoaster of emotions continued to rail. She was reportedly offered her position back, but she told that she couldn't help but feel as though they didn't want her anymore and declined.
Some 2.2 million watched Paddy's first series. Speaking about fans' reaction at the time, Paddy said: “It happens with a heritage show, doesn’t it? A change of the guard.”
Question of Sport has been running since 1968, and sees professionals as well as celebrities competing in a quiz. The show broke records in 1987 when Princess Margaret took part.
The Mirror has approached the BBC for a comment.
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