A Question of Sport 'already being lined up for reboot'

'A Question of Sport' is reportedly already set to return to its roots with a "reboot".

Last week, it was confirmed the long running BBC sports quiz show had been axed after 53 years on air, but it's been claimed bosses simply want to "put it on ice" to allow for a triumphant return to air after the 2020 revamp didn't go down as well as producers had hoped.

A source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "The axe hasn’t fallen permanently on the programme - the BBC just want to put it on ice for a while before bringing it back.

“It’s essentially a face-saving exercise because they realise they made a mistake fixing something that wasn’t broken.

"But rather than be seen as performing a spectacular and sudden U-turn, they can present it as a ‘reboot’ in a few years’ time.”

It's said Paddy McGuinness could be scrapped as host, with the old format brought back in an attempt to revive the classic panel show.

The show - which had previously been hosted by David Vine, David Coleman, and Sue Barker - has seen a decline in viewing figures over recent years.

The BBC announced that it had stopped production after more than five decades, with the broadcaster explaining that the decision was taken due to "inflation and funding challenges".

However, a spokesperson did insist it was "not the final whistle" for the show, explaining that the programme was "not being cancelled - it is just not in production at the moment".

The situation has been compared to 'The Weakest Link' - the long-running TV game show - which has had gaps in production.

The spokesperson added: "'Question of Sport' is not going to appear on any other channels. It is the BBC's intellectual property."