What is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year as Beth…

What is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year as Beth Mead takes home 2022 award?

On receiving the Sports Personality of the Year award at MediaCityUK, Salford, Beth Mead said she was “speechless for once”
(Picture: PA)

England Lionesses and Arsenal forward Beth Mead was on Wednesday evening voted the 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. This came after she was part of the England team that won the Women’s European Championship in July, with her claiming the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament awards.

Mead, 27, who became the first women’s footballer to win the BBC award, scored six goals as the Lionesses secured their first major trophy. They beat Germany 2-1 in a thrilling final in front of 87,000 fans at Wembley.

On receiving the Sports Personality of the Year award at MediaCityUK, Salford, Mead said she was “speechless for once”. She also held back tears as she received a standing ovation from the sporting stars in the audience.

She added: “I’m incredibly honoured to win this award. I wouldn’t have done it without the [England] girls.

“This is for women’s sport and women’s sport heading in the right direction. Let’s keep pushing, girls, let’s keep doing the right thing.”

Mead’s award completed a hat-trick of successes for the Lionesses, with them winning the Team of the Year prize and their manager Sarina Wiegman being named Coach of the Year.

Six nominees were in the running to be named the Sports Personality of the Year.

Apart from Mead, they were gymnast Jessica Gadirova, curling’s Eve Muirhead, cricketer Ben Stokes, snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan, and athlete Jake Wightman.

Stokes was voted the runner-up to Mead, with Muirhead coming third.

The competition, which celebrated its 68th year, has recently been won by Andy Murray (a record three times - in 2013, 2015 and 2016), tennis player Emma Raducanu (2021) and Stokes (2019).

What is BBC Sports Personality of the Year?

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony recognises the best British sporting accomplishments of the year. It takes place every December.

The winner is the sportsperson, judged by a public vote, to have achieved the most that year.

The recipient must either be British or reside and play a significant amount of their sport in the UK. The winner is selected from a pre-determined shortlist.

The award was created by the former BBC executive Paul Fox. He came up with the idea for it while working as an editor on the magazine show Sportsview.

The first award ceremony took place in 1954 as part of Sportsview.