BBC make two major changes to SPOTY 2023 as they break from tradition – but show will clash with huge football fixture
BBC Sport’s Personality of the Year 2023 will take place on December 19.
It is the second year running the awards show will take place in mid-week.
PAThe BBC Spoty awards will take place in mid-week once again[/caption]
PAPrevious winners like Emma Raducanu have been unable to attend the show in recent years[/caption]
The Spoty awards traditionally took place on a Sunday but switched last year because it would have clashed with the Qatar World Cup final.
And it appears that change has now been made permanent to allow as many sports stars to attend as possible.
Previous winners Sir Lewis Hamilton and Emma Raducanu have been unable to attend the show.
However the mid-week date clashes with Chelsea vs Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.
The BBC still feel the switch will be beneficial after last year’s event attracted similar viewing figures to previous editions – around 3.3million.
The ceremony will take place in Media City, Salford, just as it has for the last three years.
Spoty previously took place in various cities around the UK but the decision has been made to host the awards in one location in a bid to cut costs.
Regular hosts Gary Lineker, Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott will return.
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England Women’s star Mary Earps is the favourite to win Spoty 2023.
Earps won the Fifa Best goalkeeper of the year following her impressive performances at the World Cup, where she saved a penalty in the final.
If successful Earps would become the second Lioness to win in two years following Beth Mead’s victory last year.
England cricketer Stuart Broad, who retired after The Ashes this year, is also a frontrunner along with Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Frankie Dettori.
