Sports presenter Gabby Logan has recalled how she heard her father Terry Yorath had died while presenting Match of the Day live on television.
The 53-year-old broadcaster received a phone call during filming in January after her father passed away aged 75 following a short illness. Presenter Mark Chapman replaced Logan mid-show after she left the BBC studio, explaining to viewers that she had to step down due to a family emergency.
In a new interview with The Times, Logan recalled the moment her phone rang during the broadcast. "I keep my phone on during broadcasting, as we're fed stats during games via a WhatsApp group," she told the newspaper. "It rang the evening my dad passed away while I was presenting Match of the Day."
Logan admitted she is still processing the loss months after his death. "It's hard to explain how I carried on after that, and a few months down the line I'm still processing it," she said.
Impact of Family Tragedy
Reflecting on her career and personal motivation, Logan spoke of how another tragedy shaped her outlook on life. "I've always wanted to make the most of my opportunities, and my brother Daniel's death in 1992 - aged 15, from an undiagnosed heart condition - had a profound impact on this," she told The Times.
Following her father's death in January, Logan shared a heartfelt tribute to her followers on social media, writing: "Thank you for your messages of love and support today, it has meant the world to us. Our Dad a warrior on the football pitch, captaining club and country, a kind hearted and generous man off it, would have hated all the attention. (Well most of it)."
She added: "The stories that have been shared by strangers with us today have been enormously comforting. He touched so many people's lives. We knew he had limited time, but it is still a shock."
Career of Terry Yorath
Born in Cardiff, Terry Yorath enjoyed a distinguished football career as a midfielder. He played a major role in the successful Leeds United side managed by Don Revie, winning the First Division title during a nine-year spell from 1967. Over that period, he scored 11 goals in 199 appearances for Leeds and earned runners-up medals in the FA Cup, European Cup, and European Cup Winners Cup.
Yorath later had playing spells with Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bradford City. At international level, he won 59 caps for the Wales national football team, serving as team captain.
He was working as assistant coach at Bradford City on the day of the Valley Parade fire in 1985, a stadium disaster that claimed the lives of 56 fans and left 270 injured.
Yorath transitioned into management, taking charge of Swansea City, Bradford City, Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday, Margate, and the Lebanon national team. He also managed Wales, guiding the team close to qualification for the 1994 World Cup tournament.
Life Outside Broadcasting
Logan lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Kenny Logan, 54, a former Scotland international rugby player. The couple have 20-year-old twin children, Reuben and Lois.
Reuben has followed a sporting path like his father and grandfather, playing rugby for Sale Sharks after joining the club from Northampton Saints. His twin sister Lois attends university.
Logan explained that she is still adjusting to an empty house after her children left home. "It's taken a while to move on from thinking: '3pm is coming up, I need to finish what I'm doing to do pick-ups'," she said. "I actually miss the colour-coded blackboard we used to have detailing everyone's schedules for the whole week."
