Dougie Donnelly

Douglas "Dougie" Donnelly (born 7 June 1953, Glasgow) is a Scottish television broadcaster best known for presenting sports coverage. He is currently lead commentator on European Tour Productions worldwide live TV coverage of golf's European Tour,travelling to around 20 tournaments a year around the world. He is also an after-dinner speaker and awards host.

Career

He began his career with Radio Clyde in Glasgow in the 1970s, presenting the top rated Mid Morning Show from 1979 until 1992, and was twice voted Scottish Radio Personality of the Year. He joined BBC Scotland's Sports Department in 1978, presenting programmes such as Sportscene Live (which includes events such as the Scottish Cup Final and Scotland internationals), Afternoon Sportscene, the network's rugby union coverage, and World Cups in 1990 and 1998. He presented two series of a TV chat show, Friday Night with Dougie Donnelly, and was TV Personality of the Year in Scotland in 1982. He left the BBC after the 2010 Scottish Cup Final,his 33rd in a row.

Donnelly was known outside Scotland by his involvement in the BBC's networked output of golf, darts, snooker and bowls. He was the first Scot to present the "Grandstand programme", which he did on a regular basis between 1992 and 2002. International exposure also saw Donnelly serve as commentator/presenter for the World's Strongest Man during the 1980s on ITV. He covered 4 Commonwealth Games, 4 Summer Olympic Games and 3 Winter Olympic Games, where, in the 2002 event at Salt Lake City, he commentated on the British Women Curlers' Gold victory. He has also hosted quiz shows on radio and TV and has appeared on 'The Weakest Link Ready Steady Cook, Banzai and The Games. In addition, he provided a voice over on the Sky One science entertainment show Brainiac: Science Abuse; solely for the "Brainiac Golf" sketch when a caravan is blown up; detonated by a fuse triggered by a professional golfer's putting stroke.

Personal life

Donnelly was educated at the former Hamilton Academy and is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde Law School.^[1] He is a fan of Scottish Third Division club Clyde F.C..^[2] He appeared in adverts for the furniture store Sterling, based in Tillicoultry, near Stirling. He returned to advertising for I&K Motors, and provided voiceovers for their spring 2008 advertising campaign.^[2]

He is currently lead commentator for European Tour Productions worldwide live coverage of the European Tour golf, traveling to some 20 tournaments a year. He is also an after-dinner speaker and awards host.^[3]

See also

• BBC Scotland
• Sportscene

References