Daily Mail: Thomas among the names being considered as Stelling's successor

Story from Daily Mail:

Simon Thomas is among the names being considered as a successor for Jeff Stelling on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show.

The former Blue Peter presenter, who tragically lost his wife in 2017, is in the picture, although Sky bosses insist no decision has yet been made.

Thomas stepped away from full-time broadcast work following the sudden death of his wife Gemma six years ago just three days after she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

After 18 years in the industry, Thomas took time off work to look after his eight-year-old son, leaving Sky in the process where he was formerly a lead football presenter.

He is now freelancing for various platforms but is hoping to return to a full-time gig in the not-so-distant future.

Posting to LinkedIN earlier this year, the 50-year-old said: 'For many many years, whilst I was technically freelance - I wasn't really.

'For eighteen or so years at the BBC with Blue Peter & then on to Sky Sports I was on either one, two or even three year contracts. For a broadcaster, these contracts were absolute gold dust. I was incredibly fortunate.

'Financially I had security, I could make plans, I could put money aside for holidays, pay into pensions & rainy day funds.

'Almost five years on I still know deep down it was the right decision; but as I've slowly tried to rebuild my career; its left me in the strange new world of being truly freelance.

'That world of one minute feeling busy and fulfilled with a packed work calendar, to then turning the page & seeing empty weeks stretching ahead & feeling a sense of disconcerting emptiness.

'I've quickly learnt that being freelance in broadcast is not for the faint hearted. One minute you can feel on top of the world wondering how you're going to fit everything in; next you're feeling that uncomfortable anxiety pondering where the next gig is going to come from. Is the rainy day fund going to run dry?

'Part of me loves the excitement of the unknown; the not knowing what might come next; but perhaps a bigger part of me craves a return to the days of a decent degree of certainty.'