'BBC Sports Personality of the Year' heading to Salford
Published Sep 19 2011, 11:33 BST | By Andrew Laughlin
© BBC
On December 22, Sue Barker, Gary Lineker and Jake Humphrey will present BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011 live from Salford Quay on BBC One.
The BBC officially started relocating various departments to MediaCityUK in May, and the multi-million pound complex is to become the new home of the corporation's sports teams.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2011 will again feature a public vote for the coveted trophy from a shortlist of ten acclaimed sportsmen and women picked by an expert panel. Last year, 12.6 million people tuned in to watch jockey AP McCoy take the award.
The 2011 programme will act as the climax of Celebrate Sport, a two-week celebration of sporting events taking place at MediaCityUK throughout December.
The mix of live shows, exhibitions, tours and interactive experiences is intended to "give thousands of adults and children the chance to immerse themselves in the exciting world of sport".
Events include a Christmas concert by the BBC Philharmonic and the Manchester United Foundation, a two-week residency by the National Football Museum and a special Audience with Question of Sport featuring Sue Barker with Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell.
Barbara Slater, the director of BBC Sport, said: "MediaCityUK in Salford will be a fitting venue for the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The facilities at the site are fantastic and the area has such a top-class sporting heritage, boasting top-flight teams across many sports.
"This is a great opportunity to celebrate that. It's wonderful to be able to also offer so many people the chance to get involved through Celebrate Sport which will throw open the doors to many exciting sport events and experiences."
Barker, who has co-hosted Sports Personality of the Year since 1994, told the Manchester Evening News: "It's very exciting to be coming to Greater Manchester. I've been many times as a player and presenting A Question Of Sport, so I know how much the people of Manchester and Salford are into their sport.
"I think the studio will be bigger than the one in London, and we have some tickets that are open to the public, so I'm sure it'll be a fantastic atmosphere."
Also announced today is the opening for nominations for the BBC Sports Unsung Hero 2011, a part of Sports Personality of the Year recognising the contribution of individuals at the grassroots level of sport.
The BBC has said that this year's Sports Personality of the Year will be a closed event and so there will be no public tickets available. However, a small number of tickets will be offered via a public ballot and anyone interested should register at the BBC website.
