Sue Barker has revealed how she was left 'angry' and 'insulted' by the BBC's handling of her exit from its flagship quiz show, A Question of Sport last year.
The 66-year-old spent an incredible 24 years in the hot seat before bosses called time on her career and replaced her with Paddy McGuinness.
Former tennis star Sue said she had no problem with being replaced because 'everyone has their day', but was left saddened by the way in which it was handled.
She added that the whole episode taught her there was 'no way of leaving a role in a nice, pleasant manner with your head held high'.
"The countdown to the end had begun in October 2016, when A Question Of Sport was one of the first BBC shows to be put out to tender to independent production companies. I was on holiday when a few TV producer friends contacted me," she explains in her new book, excerpts of which have been revealed by MailOnline.
"They'd seen the BBC tender document and couldn't believe my name wasn't on it. Apparently the BBC wanted to refresh the show — with more diversity and more appeal to a younger audience. I was gobsmacked. How did they think I wasn't going to hear about this?"
The presenter was grateful to learn that many of the bidding companies were keen to keep her on, which resulted in the broadcaster performing a U-turn and stating that 'they didn't want to change the line-up."
Sue continued: "Two years later, BBC management told me my contract was being renewed for two years, but that in the final year they'd ask me to take on two new team captains to replace Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson. I didn't need to think long about this: I said I'd leave with the boys. Nothing was decided over that next year so we all got another extension to our contracts."
Rumours again began to swirl in 2020 over the trio's future on the show, but with no stonewall news forthcoming, Sue believed a further extension was on the cards.
However, that all changed during recording sessions as Sue recalls 'we were suddenly all called in to separate meetings with management'.
Despite accepting the BBC's decision, learning she would be leaving the show left Sue 'wretchedly sad' and the boys 'devastated'.
According to Sue all the trio asked from the broadcaster was to provide statements for when the news broke of their impending departures. However, there was 'no email, no letter, no phone call' according to Sue, just 'silence'.
It took until two weeks before their final episode to receive any form of communication - an email in which BBC management said they were 'sorry for not being in touch' and that's when the 'anger set in'.
To add insult to injury Sue added that three days later she was told the news of their exit was about to break and that 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.
Her frustrations weren't to end there. The BBC then requested that 'I announce that I was leaving for the good of the show', which was 'insulting' as it was like they were asking me to 'sack myself', Sue explained.
After telling the BBC to 'own their decision and declare publicly that they wanted to refresh the show', remarkably the rollercoaster of emotions continued.
Sue was offered the job back, but as she 'couldn't help but feel they didn't want me anymore', she declined.
