EDDIE ‘THE EAGLE’ Edwards has expressed his sadness at the BBC’s brutal decision to axe Ski Sunday.
The Beeb have decided “following careful consideration” to “say farewell to Ski Sunday, ending a remarkable run over nearly five decades”.
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The “iconic part of the winter sports calendar” debuted on TV in 1978 and showcased the best skiers over the autumn and winter months.
This is the latest move from Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC Director of Sport, to cut costs and reduce TV coverage of major sporting events or long-standing programmes.
The departure of Ski Sunday from TV screens follows the shock decision to axe Football Focus and let go of the rights to broadcast the Boat Race and the Commonwealth Games.
Edwards, 62, is one of Britain’s most famous Winter Olympians, having competed in the ski jumping competitions.
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In conversation with SunSport, Edwards said: “That’s very sad news.
“Yes, I appeared on the show a few times back in 1986-1988.
“But I watched Ski Sunday from its beginning as I started skiing in 1976-77 and had my biggest idols from watching the show.
“Ski Sunday was a great platform for some of our winter athletes.”
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Edwards competed for Team GB at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, finishing 58th in the Normal Hill and then the 55th in the Large Hill – last in both competitions.
He received worldwide acclaim for his efforts and for being amateur, more so than the respective Olympic champions, and his appearance forced a significant rule change in the sport.
Yet there was a 2016 Hollywood film made about his life, which starred Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton.
The BBC paid tribute to the “success and longevity of Ski Sunday” while announcing it would not continue after five decades on television.
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In a statement, they justified the move by saying: “Changing audience behaviours and the tough financial decisions needed to meet savings requirements mean BBC Sport must continually review how it delivers value for licence fee payers and serves audiences across all platforms.
“This decision forms part of that process.”
Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sport Events, said: “Ski Sunday has been a truly iconic programme and a much-loved part of BBC Sport’s output for many years.
“Generations of viewers have enjoyed its coverage of the best in winter sports.
“We are enormously proud of the role it has played in bringing these moments to audiences across the UK, and extremely grateful to the brilliant people who have delivered them, not least the current outstanding team.
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“These decisions are never easy, but as audience viewing habits evolve and we work to deliver value for licence fee payers, we have to make tough choices.
“We remain committed to bringing audiences the very best of winter sport, above all at the Winter Olympics, across BBC Sport’s platforms.”