Legendary racing commentator behind famous 'It's a man, actually' scene announces retirement
"But it's been my whole life and I still love it. I still go in the weighing room before each race to check the colours – Michael O'Hehir taught me to do that."
Legendary racing commentator Derek 'Tommo' Thompson has announced that 2025 will be his last year holding the mic. He revealed in a post on social media on Christmas Day that he will call his last race at the end of 2025.
“I'm not getting any younger, I'll be 75 in July,” Thompson then explained to the Racing Post. "I've been doing it a long time and I've been thinking about it with my wife Caroline for a while.
"There are a lot of very good young people coming through and the difficult part of the job is travelling — I find that hard now.
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"But it's been my whole life and I still love it. I still go in the weighing room before each race to check the colours – Michael O'Hehir taught me to do that."
Thompson commentated at his first point-to-point meeting at the age of just 15.
In recent years he became a viral sensation for the infamous 'it's a man actually, Derek' scene on Sky Sports Racing.
Tommo famously denied King Charles his only win as a jockey - in a charity Flat race at Plumpton in 1980 - but found his calling in the booth rather than on horseback.
This week, Thompson took to X/Twitter to explain: "It's been quite a year on the racecourse - well done to all the stable staff, they work so hard while we're tucking into dinner on Christmas Day, they'll be looking after the horses so we can enjoy them.
"I'm looking ahead to 2025 and I've got to reveal something now, it will be my last year as a racing commentator!
"Yes, I'm going to be going around the tracks and I'm really looking forward to it, it's going to be fantastic.
"I've been doing it for many years and 2025 is going to be my last year as a racing commentator.
"So if you want a, 'it's a photo!' or 'wow that's one for the judge!' come to a racecourse and say hello.
"Here's to a fantastic 2025!"
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