EyeSpy: Remembering Tony Gubba

Dancing On Ice and BBC Sport‘s commentator Tony Gubba has died after a short illness aged 69. EyeSpy remembers him with the hilarious Todd Carty tunnel incident on DOI

For the final three weeks of the 2013 series of ITV’s celebrity skating contest, which ended last night, announcer Simon Reed has stood in for Gubba. Paying tribute on Twitter the show’s host Phillip Schofield said,

“It’s with the saddest of hearts that I tweet the news that our dear friend Tony Gubba has passed away. We were all aware how poorly he was,” continuing, “but this is very sudden and is a dreadful to everyone who knew & loved him. A genuinely delightful, kind, dedicated & talented man. All my love and condolences to his family. I’m so glad I had the privilege of working with him & getting to know him.”

Gubba began his television career at the ITV South franchise Southern Television in the sixties before switching to BBC Sport in the early 1970s. Prior to broadcasting Tony had worked as a reporter for a tabloid newspaper.

In television he became a regular on the BBC hosting programmes including Sportsnight, Match of the Day and Grandstand. His main role however was as a key commentator for BBC Sport covering every Olympic Games, both summer and winter, from 1972 to 2012 and every World Cup from 1974 to 2006. His wide range of commentary coverage saw Tony providing the details of everything from table-tennis to darts.

In 2006 he returned to ITV to work on new celebrity skating series Dancing on Ice which he remained part of until a month ago. Below the infamous clip of Todd Carty and Tony’s commentary…

Tony Gubba 23rd of September 1943 – 11th March 2013