According to The Sun’s Matt Hughes, Chris Hughes has been dropped from the BBC’s coverage of The Hundred, ending a four-year run as one of the presenters of the cricket tournament aimed at younger audiences. The move comes just as the 2025 edition begins, with a renewed focus on the sport itself rather than celebrity-led presentation.
Hughes, who had fronted the coverage since the format’s 2021 launch, will not return this year. A BBC source confirmed: “Chris has done a good job for four years, but we’re going in a different direction.”
The Hundred opens with a high-profile clash between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles at Lord’s, but the broadcast team will look very different. According to the same BBC source, “There will be more focus on the cricket this year, rather than promoting the Hundred as an entertainment show.”
Taking over Hughes’ role will be BBC Radio 5 Live’s Rick Edwards, alongside a more cricket-anchored team led by former England stars Isa Guha and Alex Hartley. “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,” the source added.
Career shake-up follows ITV Racing departure
This marks the second major exit for Hughes in a matter of months. Earlier this year, he left ITV Racing after a six-year stint, reportedly due to a dispute over pay. The network had featured Hughes at high-profile events such as Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot, where he had built a strong rapport with racing fans.
The back-to-back exits from two of Britain’s top sports broadcasters signal a career crossroads for the reality-TV-star-turned-presenter, who first rose to prominence through Love Island.
Past on-air controversy resurfacing
Though the BBC did not publicly connect the decision to previous incidents, Hughes had faced scrutiny in 2023 over on-air comments made to cricketer Maitlan Brown during a live interview.
Brown, discussing a bonding session with her Southern Brave teammates, said: “We watched Barbie the other night all together and it was really good team bonding.” She continued: “That is the key to success I think in tournaments like this, how well and how quickly you can gel as a group.”
Hughes responded: “You’re a little Barbie yourself, aren’t you, with your blue eyes.” He then added: “She’s blushing now.”
Following backlash online, a BBC spokesperson addressed the matter: “We have spoken to Chris and explained that his comment was not appropriate.”
Although he remained part of the BBC team following that incident, it may have contributed to the internal assessment that led to this summer’s reshuffle.
BBC’s new direction for The Hundred
The broadcaster is clearly repositioning The Hundred to emphasize cricket credibility over entertainment packaging. With Isa Guha and Alex Hartley now fronting the show, the BBC appears to be leaning into specialist insight and analysis to engage both core fans and younger viewers alike.
As the new season begins, Chris Hughes finds himself at a turning point—out of the picture at both ITV and BBC, and with questions looming about his next move in sport and entertainment media.
