Andrew Castle, the BBC's lead Wimbledon commentator for 23 years, is stepping down after this year's Championships. The 62-year-old former tennis professional made the decision to leave, despite the BBC asking him to stay. BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski said: "We asked Andrew to stay, because we think he's excellent. He's been doing this for 20 years, and then he took the decision, therefore, that is enough. I think even he said this week that he was told face-to-face and it was done nicely. He's done an absolute brilliant innings."
Andrew Castle's Famous Daughter
Andrew's daughter Georgina Castle is a hugely popular West End musical theatre actress. She is best known for portraying Regina George in the West End production of Mean Girls at the Savoy Theatre and Sophie in Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre. Andrew said: "I'm full of admiration for her and love listening to her sing." Georgina added: "My family have never faltered in their support."
Georgina's Career and Personal Life
In 2022, Georgina played Jovie opposite Simon Lipkin in the West End revival of Elf at the Dominion Theatre. She began a relationship with her co-star Simon, and they married last year. Georgina announced her pregnancy on Instagram in April with a video of the couple discovering the baby's gender, captioned: "See you in September baby girl." Fellow West End stars congratulated her, including Amber Davies, Hannah Lowther, Lucie Jones, and Samantha Barks.
Andrew's Other Daughter and Family
Andrew and his wife Sophia are also parents to younger daughter Claudia Castle, who stays out of the public eye. Claudia married cricketer Will Tavaré in 2019, and they have two children: son Louis and daughter India. Claudia worked at Wimbledon in her youth, saying: "It was one of the best jobs; we were paid to watch tennis all day, sit in the sun and occasionally pull the covers over the grass when it rained!"
The men's final this year will mark Andrew's last appearance at the BBC microphone. The Telegraph reports that Andrew Cotter is expected to replace him from 2027. Coverage of Wimbledon airs on BBC One and BBC Two, and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
