Andrew Castle says he's 'upset' after he was axed as lead Wimbledon commentator after 23 years as BBC announces revamp of 'stale and outdated' coverage

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:22, 26 June 2026 | Updated: 12:24, 26 June 2026 Andrew Castle has said he is 'upset' that he was axed as lead Wimbledon commentator by the BBC after it announced a revamp of its 'stale and outdated' coverage. The tennis commentator and former top-100 player has been the voice of the tournament for nearly 25 years, but he will pick up the microphone for one last time over the next two weeks after he was dropped from the top job. Head of BBC sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, decided to take the corporation's coverage in a new direction, attempting to bring in new and younger audiences while cutting costs. The corporation confirmed it wanted Castle to continue working for them in a different role, but he turned the offer down meaning this year will be his last. Castle said that he will be upset during this year's tournament knowing it is his last but 'all good things must come to an end.' The 62-year-old veteran broadcaster, who revealed he was leaving on June 16, said he wished he could have remained in the role until next year for the championship's 150th anniversary.    And to make the mood more dour, if Castle had made it one more year in the role, it would have been a special anniversary for him as well. 'It would have been my 25th year. But who’s bleating?', he told the Daily Telegraph. Andrew Castle will be picking up the microphone for one last time as lead Tennis commentator for the BBC BBC head of sport Alex Kay-Jelski is pictured in the Wimbledon Royal Box at last year's tournament Andrew Castle was the host for a decade of ITV's show GMTV (pictured with Fiona Phillips) before he was axed 'I was told in person [about getting dropped], in a very respectful way, and I was very grateful for that – because knowing what I know about TV, you can be walking down the street one moment and the next you’ve been nobbled.' The news that Castle was to be cut from the Wimbledon commentary line up isn't the first time Castle has been dropped from a presenting gig.  In 2010, he left GMTV after a decade as a breakfast television presenter, only discovering he was getting the boot when he arrived at Gatwick Airport for a family holiday. 'The front page of the Daily Mirror had a picture of me – and my three co-presenters – with the headline "You’re Toast"!," he said. The Wimbledon stalwart's axing from the show has since caused PR experts to say that Castle is just another casualty in Kay-Jelski's 'purge' to modernise BBC sport. Sports media expert Rob Stewart described the broadcaster as the corporation's 'fall guy' after the All England Club demanded a coverage revamp. Mr Stewart, who runs Bristol-based firm About On The Up PR, told the Mail: 'They say time waits for no man or woman and that certainly applies to tennis as well, judging by the Beeb's decision to ditch Sue Barker and now Andrew Castle as they want to take coverage in a new direction. 'He's now playing the role of fall guy as the Beeb try to modernise and revamp the coverage to attract and retain audiences following a warning that emerged at the start of this year that Wimbledon chiefs had told the BBC to revamp stale, outdated coverage.' Andrew Castle with co-commentators Tim Henman and John McEnroe at Wimbledon in 2008. He has been a mainstay in the commentary box for nearly 25 years Bouchard has been recruited by the BBC after impressing as a commentator for TNT during the French Open at Roland-Garros on May 24, 2026 (From left) Tim Henman, Gigi Salmon, Qasa Alom, Clare Balding, Isa Guha, Andy Stevenson and Andrew Castle are among the BBC presenters involved in this year's Wimbledon coverage Fellow sports PR expert Lee McLaughlan, who runs the Sweetspot Communications agency, said he believed Castle was 'another casualty' of the sports chief's drive for change. He told the Mail: 'Is this really a surprise given Alex Kay-Jelski's track record since taking on the job as the BBC's director of sport? 'This year alone he has taken the decision to axe the institution that is Football Focus, has said the BBC doesn't need live sport to remain relevant. The decision to host the BBC's World Cup coverage from Salford and not the USA has also brought derision. 'It seems Andrew Castle is just another casualty in this purge to 'modernise' the BBC's sports coverage. In the wake of Castle's axing, three new commentators have been recruited in an attempt to refresh the corporation's commentary.  Kay-Jelski has brought in 'tennis glamour girl' Genie Bouchard, two-time doubles champion Jamie Murray and former British number one Laura Robson. Canadian former Wimbledon finalist and model, Bouchard, 32, earned positive reviews for her work with TNT Sports at the recent French Open. Andy Murray's brother joined the team after announcing his retirement in April following seven grand slam title wins. The Scot, 40, will lead tactical and technical analysis while Bouchard and former British number one Laura Robson, both 32, will bring a younger element to the team. However, Mr Stewart said there was 'no guarantee that the shiny new replacement will be any better' than Castle, which could give an advantage to broadcast rivals eyeing Wimbledon rights at a time BBC budgets are being cut. He added: 'Love him or hate him, Wimbledon just won't be the same without Andrew Castle and whatever people think of him, he will leave the SW19 commentary box with his head held high.' Former champion Andre Agassi will also return for the final stages of the tournament while familiar faces John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Pat Cash, Tim Henman and Annabel Croft will be the mainstays of the coverage, which starts on Monday June 29. Clare Balding and Isa Guha will lead the daily TV coverage across BBC One, Two and iPlayer, where they will also be joined by Billie Jean King, Tracy Austin, Kyle Edmund and Annabel Croft. Mr Kay-Jelski said: 'Wimbledon remains one of the defining moments of the sporting year, where world-class performance meets a truly British sense of occasion. 'This summer, BBC Sport's coverage combines the heritage and prestige audiences expect with exciting new voices in our presenting line-up, alongside more advanced analytics and tech that bring fresh insight to every game, set and match.' Kay-Jelski, 42, joined the BBC in 2024 as director of sport and earns £230,000 a year. He began his career in 2007 as a trainee sub-editor at the Daily Mail, working his way up to sports editor before moving to the same role at The Times in 2015. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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