Viewers say Wimbledon 'not the same' without Sue Barker and ask BBC to bring her back

Wimbledon viewers have said they are missing Sue Barker and are calling on the BBC to bring her back.

The TV star and former tennis champ, 67, had hosted the BBC's coverage of the championships for 30 years but stepped down in 2022, saying that it had been "an “absolute privilege”.

She later said that she had wanted to leave on her “own terms” rather than find herself in a situation where she was “pushed out the door”.

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Clare Balding has taken over as lead presenter but many fans tuning in to the tennis coverage this week have said “it’s not the same” without Barker.

Several were also feeling nostalgic after Barker was spotted in the Royal Box on the third day of the championships.

“Please can we have Sue Barker back?” one person asked on Twitter.

“@Wimbledon bring back Sue Barker!” pleaded another.

One posted: “Sorry @BBCSport but your @Wimbledon coverage is severely lacking without Sue Barker.”

“Doesn’t feel the same without Sue Barker,” said somebody else.

“I know change can be difficult but Sue left too soon.”

"@BBC please dear God, beg Sue Barker to come back," one viewer urged.

One fan said Barker was missed and that “the big Wimbledon personalities” were “sadly fading fast”.

Another viewer remarked: “I love watching the tennis, something special about it all but I still lose enjoyment without Sue Barker, such a big loss, one of the worst decisions going.”

Read more: Sue Barker: I left Wimbledon on my own terms instead of being pushed out

Somebody else said that Barker would “forever be Wimbledon”.

Barker had been presenting at Wimbledon from 1993. She announced last summer that she was leaving the role.

Watch: Sue Barker: Much of my success was down to 'luck' and 'being in the right place at the right time'