- Author, Steven McIntosh
- Role, Entertainment reporter
First Dates star Fred Sirieix has joined the line-up of presenters for the BBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The French chef and TV personality shot to fame as Maître d’ on the Channel 4 dating series after it launched in 2013.
Since then, she has starred in an ITV series with Gordon Ramsay and Gino D’Acampo and competed in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The BBC said he would join the studio’s line-up by commentating and analyzing games.
He will join Clare Balding, Gabby Logan, Hazel Irvine, Isa Guha, Jeanette Kwakye, JJ Chalmers and Mark Chapman in the BBC presentation in Paris.
Special guests will include the UK’s most decorated Olympian Laura Kenny, British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers, Olympic gold medalist Moe Sbihi and bronze medalist Vicky Hollan.
Former athlete Beth Tweddle, former cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, former track and field athlete Dame Denise Lewis, retired heptathlete Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, four-time US Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson and former swimmer Rebecca Adlington will also share analysis and their experience.
On BBC Radio 5 Live, coverage will be from Adrian Chiles, Eleanor Oldroyd, Kelly Cates, Chapman, Naga Munchetty and Tony Livesey.
Sirieix’s daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix is an Olympic diver for Team GB.
The BBC will provide live coverage of all 32 matches across BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer, with nightly highlights recapping the action from each day.
Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said: “For the first time since London 2012 we have an Olympic Games held in a European time zone, which is really exciting for British audiences.
“People can tune in to live coverage morning, noon and night, watching all the biggest sports moments as they happen.”
Coverage will begin with the opening ceremony at 18:30 BST on Friday 26 July, on BBC One, during which each country will arrive on the River Seine in Paris.
In a statement, Logan said: “Paris has great venues. In a city that loves to show off its spectacular beauty, it will be a visually stunning race and for the tourist an amazing experience.
“For us in the UK, being just an hour ahead will feel like a home game.”