THEY Think It’s All Over gained a devoted cult following its 1990s success – but what became of its stars including Nick Hancock, Rory McGrath and co?
Taking its name from Kenneth Wolstenholme’s iconic 1996 World Cup final commentary, the BBC satirical quiz show saw the likes of Gary Linekar and Jonathan Ross take centre circle.
However, with Linekar and Ross heading into broadcast stardom, many of those in the panel were never seen again.
Two decades after the show hung up its boots for good, The Celeb Report takes a look at what happened to the TV stars, funnymen and sporting legends who starred in it.
Rory McGrath
Comedian Rory McGrath featured as a panellist for the show’s entire run from 1995 until 2006, on the team originally captained by Gary Linekar.
After the quiz was axed, Rory went on to star in the BBC’s Three Men in a Boat comedy specials, alongside fellow funnyman and Mock the Week host Dara O’Brien.
In 2013, the 60-year-old came under intense scrutiny after he was cautioned over three drunken assaults in his hometown of Cornwall.
He also appeared in court over allegations that he stalked a married woman for 14 months.
Lee Hurst
Despite openly admitting to knowing nothing about football, Lee Hurst was of the show’s original panellists from 1995 until 1998.
After leaving the show, Lee took a step back from TV work to focus on running his comedy club.
Earlier this year, the comedian was suspended from Twitter after sharing abusive tweets about Professor Chris Whitty.
Shocking footage emerged of Whitty being manhandled by two men as he walked through London’s St James Park – and Hurst had his say on the matter.
The 58-year-old was then banned after he tweeted that the attack on England’s Chief Medical Officer was “not enough”.
Nick Hancock
Nick Hancock was the show’s host and, as a result, became a household name in the ‘90s.
The 59-year-old is an avid Stoke City fan, who repeatedly references his love for the Potters during the show.
Incredibly, he bought Stanley Matthews’ 1953 FA Cup winners medal in 2001 for £20,000 – 13 years later he sold it for £220,000.
After walking away from show business in 2005, he spent two years working as a mortgage broker, as well as taking a sabbatical to spend more time with his wife and two children.
Over the years, Hancock has made low-key appearances on TV, starring in a celebrity edition of The Chase, as well as hosting the BBC Two show Breakaway in 2012.
David Gower
Former England cricket captain David Gower was a team skipper on the comedy quiz for eight years.
His laid-back, witty style earned him a successful broadcasting career ever since.
He was a stalwart of Sky Sports‘ cricket coverage, anchoring their Test match broadcasts and providing live commentary.
The 64-year-old has since switched allegiances and now regularly commentates on high profile international cricket matches for BT Sport.
Gary Linekar
For former England footballer Gary Linekar, eight years as a team captain on the show was a stepping stone to the A-list of football broadcasting.
He took over as Match of the Day presenter from Des Lynam in 1999 and famously presented the highlights show in his pants after his beloved Leicester City won the 2015-16 Premier League title.
Linekar also regularly appears as a host and pundit on BT Sport, regularly picking apart both Premier League and Champions League games.
Lineker has been the face of Walkers crisps since 1995, even having a flavour – Salt-n-Lineker – named in his honour.
Phil Tufnell
Eccentric England spin bowler Phil Tufnell reinvented himself as a TV personality after spending two years as a team captain following the departures of Gower and Lineker.
Tuffers went on to head up a team on another BBC sports panel show, A Question of Sport.
However, just two months ago, Phil was forced to accept his dismissal from the beloved show.
Last year, however, it was announced that he, Sue Barker and Matt Dawson would not be returning to the show.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Phil detailed how being dropped from the line-up made him feel.
“It was just turning up and having a good time with your mates and then, they sort of said, ‘Right, ok, we’re going to take it in a new direction’.
“And we sort of went, ‘Oh, crikey. That’s a shame’.”
Jonathan Ross
Flamboyant presenter Jonathan Ross was already a familiar face on our screens when he joined the show for an eight-year stint as a panellist in 1998.
His career survived the Sachsgate BBC Radio 2 scandal which saw him and Russell Brand briefly assume the mantle of most hated men in Britain.
He is now best-known for the ITV chat show The Jonathan Ross Show and is also a panelist on the British version of The Masked Singer.
The 61-year-old recently told The Celeb Report about his time on the show and said: “I think what makes it different is that it isn’t exactly a talent show and it isn’t exactly a reality show and it isn’t exactly a celebrity challenge show.
“It’s a mixture of all those things with an element of comedy panel show thrown in as well.”
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