What occurred to Soccer AM forged and crew – present’s ‘return’ and star’s coronary heart assault at 36
Soccer AM was one of the UK’s most popular football programmes on Sky Sports before it was cancelled in 2023 and fans’ love for the show has remained
Soccer AM was the best way to begin a weekend for many generations of football fans. The iconic Sky Sports show began in 1994 and was cancelled at the end of the 2022/23 season, running for a total of 29 seasons.
At the peak of his popularity, Soccer AM had a huge impact on football fan culture in the UK with many quotes from the show being used in chants across the nation. The programme had many fun segments, like Crossbar Challenge and Skill Skool, which offered a never-before-seen view of football clubs across the country.
Various sketches were thought up by the team of presenters and producers which went down a treat with viewers. There were many hosts and co-presenters that took the reins of Soccer AM over the years with familiar faces many fans of the show will still recall. Here, Daily Star Sport reveal what some of the ex-stars of the flagship programme are up to now.
Tim Lovejoy
Tim Lovejoy joined Soccer AM in 1996 and formed an incredible partnership with Helen Chamberlain on the show. He eventually left in 2007 to focus on a new programme called Channel Bee.
Weekend television became Lovejoy’s main thing, working on Something for the Weekend for the BBC and also Sunday Brunch on Channel 4.
Lovejoy also paired up with Chamberlain once again to work on a podcast called Soccer A-Z, which featured some of their former Soccer AM co-hosts.
The 57-year-old launched a hybrid video-podcast/show called Soccer Amen, which many dubbed the ‘return’ of Soccer AM.
The programme features the likes of Robbie Knox, Peter ‘Tubes’ Dale and Joe ‘Sheephead’ Worsley.
It launched in August 2025 and blends football culture, humour and fan‑focused discussion across video podcast platforms and social media.
Tubes
Tubes, whose real name is Peter Dale, was an assistant producer on the show. He gained popularity among fans for his facial expressions and impressive comedic timing.
The veteran Soccer AM star was part of the cast during the show’s final season. In 2018, Tubes revealed the serious health scare he had at 36 years old as well as his struggles with alcoholism.
The former TV star actually took part in a football game before he suffered a heart attack and could’ve ended up in a much more vulnerable position if it wasn’t for the manager.
Tubes said: “I was really slow. It felt like I had a hangover again. I was plodding along, my legs were dead. Luckily he [the manager] took me off, because I could have had the heart attack on the pitch.”
He added: “If it happened two years ago when I was drinking and smoking loads, they said I’d have died on the spot because it was a major heart attack. I couldn’t believe the support I got from the general public, friends and football clubs. If you have any family history of heart attacks or heart problems, please go and get it checked out.”
Now, the 43-year-old is focusing on his social media content. He runs a YouTube channel with brother Ange, called Tubes & Ange Golf Life.
John ‘Fenners’ Fendley
Fenners served as a producer on Soccer AM from 1997 to 2007. He then returned as a lead presenter from 2015 until the show’s final episode in May 2023.
After Soccer AM ended, the 56-year-old teamed up with Jimmy Bullard to create FC Bullard. This podcast portrays the pair ‘building’ fictional football clubs from scratch alongside a plethora of guests.
Previously, the star admitted the ending of Soccer AM affected his mental health to a significant extent. When asked if he remembers the show fondly, Fenners said: “I didn’t at first, it was quite hard to be honest. Just in a dark place for a bit I’ll be honest with you.
“Felt a bit, not let down, just a bit humiliated that it had ended like it did. Everyone says to you ‘you’ll be fine, you’ll get work’. I did believe that initially.
“I wanted to hit the ground running, I wasn’t sitting there going ‘I’m just gonna kick back a bit and wait until I get a job’. I was on the phone, ringing up people and having meetings and having coffees.
“You know within 10 seconds when you’re in one of those meetings ‘this is a waste of time, I can see they’re just being polite’. It was always going to be hard for me to go and get a job like Soccer AM, to be a presenter and a producer. It’s kind of a unique role.”
Jimmy Bullard
Jimmy Bullard is a household name partly for his footballing career but mostly for his time on Soccer AM.
The charismatic star’s ‘Top Bins’ segment was an iconic part of the show, and he graciously showed off his skills on various episodes throughout the programme’s tenure.
Nowadays, Bullard runs the FC Bullard podcast with Fenners and keeps his hand in the world of sport. The 47-year-old also hosts his own fishing and lifestyle podcast, called Off The Hook with Jimmy Bullard.
Andy Goldstein
Andy Goldstein had one of the shortest spells on Soccer AM, lasting just one season in place of Lovejoy.
The 52-year-old continued to work with Sky Sports to present their snooker coverage and has since found joy on talkSPORT.
Goldstein fronts the ‘Drive’ show on talkSPORT and has participated in pool tournaments like the Florida Pool Open.
Helen Chamberlain
Helen Chamberlain joined the show as a presenter in 1995 and stayed with the show until 2017. The popular host, known as ‘Hell’s Bells’ by co-workers, was a household name for her work on Soccer AM but has since relaxed more since she quit the show.
For a while, the 58-year-old presented for TNT Sports and worked with Lovejoy on other projects but is more focused on rural living in the countryside. She also enjoys sharing her metal-detecting finds on social media and has an easy explanation for why she left TV land behind.
Speaking to the Athletic, Chamberlain said: “I spent nearly half my life sitting on that sofa. I was there for nearly 23 years.
“That’s a long time to have any job, never mind a job in broadcasting. I had the farm to see to. I wanted to rescue more dogs and breed sheep and chickens. So I didn’t have time for Saturday mornings anymore.”
Rocket
James Long – better known as Rocket – began life as a teenage intern on Soccer AM and went on to become one of the show’s main producers.
After the show ended, Rocket launched a YouTube channel called Soccer PM which was a nostalgic way for fans to remember some of the best parts of Soccer AM.
In February 2025, Long joined Baller League as Head of Production and has worked on the likes of Mola TV, Snack Media and JOE.
