It's been the talk of the town for the past week, fans have been waiting decades for the band to reunite and now their long-awaited return has arrived. No, I'm not talking about Oasis. Former Soccer AM hosts Tim Lovejoy and Helen 'Hells Bells' Chamberlain have reunited to bring back the glorious 90s with the new Mail podcast and YouTube show Soccer A-Z.
The pair are not alone either, they have got the gang back together. Lovejoy and Chamberlain will be joined by former Soccer AM sidekick 'Tubes', real name Peter Dale, YouTuber Robbie Knox, and 'Sheephead', real name Joe Worsley.
The Return of the Football Legends
They are the two much-loved stars of former cult TV show Soccer AM, whose winning formula of humour and football chat drew viewers across the country on Saturday mornings. Now Tim Lovejoy and Helen 'Hells Bells' Chamberlain are reuniting for an exclusive new football podcast from the Mail, Soccer A-Z.
Star presenters Lovejoy and Chamberlain will bring nostalgia and humour to your ears every Wednesday as they talk about the beautiful game. Each weekly episode of the podcast will be led by the alphabet and will include a variety of football-inspired challenges as dictated by the letter of the week, with a quiz incorporated into each adventure. The podcast makes its debut tomorrow and will be available from wherever you get your podcasts or can be watched on YouTube. You won't want to miss it.
What Have They Been Up To Since Soccer AM?
But what have the presenters been up to since their days fronting the Sky Sports show?
Lovejoy, 56, has remained a regular onscreen favourite, teaming up with chef Simon Rimmer for Channel 4's Sunday Brunch. And away from the limelight, Chamberlain has kept herself busy by providing a home to a whole host of waifs and strays - from a miniature Shetland to nine sheep and an alpaca.
On Soccer A-Z, the pair will offer a nostalgic look at the past and present of football. Find out more as they are joined by familiar faces, including Peter 'Tubes' Dale, Robbie Knox and Joe ‘Sheephead’ Worsley, on the podcast which airs today.
Tim Lovejoy's Post-Soccer AM Career
Since he left Soccer AM in 2007, Lovejoy has co-presented Something For The Weekend on BBC2 and Sunday Brunch on Channel 4, alongside Rimmer. He has also fronted his own successful podcast The Lovejoy Hour. After his departure from the Sky Sports show, he presented a documentary for BBC3 called How To Be England Manager and hosted a Saturday morning panel show for BT Sports. He also appeared on Radio 5 Live and has even launched an internet TV channel called ChannelBee.
In 2010, Lovejoy took a guest presenter slot on Blue Peter, having auditioned about a decade earlier. And he has regularly taken part in TV gameshows, including Celebrity Masterchef, House Of Games, Celebrity Catchphrase and Celebrity Chase.
In a 2022 interview with Metro, Lovejoy admitted he had suffered with depression and ‘read every self-help book there is’. He said his depression left him with ‘deep sadness, which ended up being so overwhelming I couldn’t get out of bed’. Lovejoy has twin girls with his ex-wife Jade. He was also in a relationship with netball player Tamsin Greenway until 2016, and they had a daughter together three years earlier.
Helen Chamberlain's Life After Soccer AM
Helen ‘Hells Bells’ Chamberlain, a renowned Torquay United fan, has taken a bit of time out of the media limelight since she left Soccer AM in 2017, after 22 years. Speaking to The Athletic in 2020, she explained why she had left the show, saying: ‘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 any more.’
She has a six-acre smallholding which is now home to many rescue animals, including five dogs, two pigs, a donkey, a miniature Shetland, nine sheep, a llama, an alpaca and ten rheas. The Somerset-born star also has chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks, cockatiels and 'an old budgie'. Her profile on X describes herself as ‘Woking & District ladies darts singles champion 2012’ and as a ‘metal detectorist’. She has also shared her love of metal detecting, posting pictures of her looking for lost treasures. Her finds include a David II Scottish penny from the 14th century and a farthing.
Chamberlain has done some presenting work since her Soccer AM exit, including working for TNT Sports to cover the World Seniors Darts Championship. She is also a gifted card player, going on to finish second after being entered into the 2005 Poker Million tournament by a producer, winning $400,000. Chamberlain was said to have spent part of her winnings on buying the racehorse Birkspiel, which went on to win a Group 3 €50,000 race in Baden-Baden, Germany. She also owned other race horses, including flat racer Napoletano and Merlin's Dancer, a sprinter.
The Soccer A-Z Gang is Back!
Speaking about the new podcast, Lovejoy said: 'Helen, the crew and I spent over a decade sharing laughs and unforgettable moments on Soccer AM, and I can't wait to bring that same energy and passion for football to our new podcast Soccer A-Z. This will be a journey through the history and heart of the game, featuring plenty of familiar faces along the way. Starting September 4, the gang is back, and we're excited to bring the spirit of Soccer AM to a whole new platform.'
Chamberlain said of the new podcast: 'I'm really looking forward to reminding Tim of all the absolute nonsense he thought up, and made us do during the Soccer AM days, as I'm sure he's forgotten most of it – luckily, the rest of us haven't. We all have endless stories about putting that show together, and it's going to be so good to catch up with some of the old crew and hear their best memories from both behind the scenes and in front of camera.'
The new podcast will also feature other familiar faces from Soccer AM, including ‘Tubes’, also known as Peter Dale. Famous for his offbeat interviews with celebrities, Tubes now has a golf channel on YouTube, called Golf Life. In his videos, he has played golf with celebrities including Glenn Hoddle and Jimmy Bullard. Tubes has been very honest about his battle with alcoholism, and in 2018 he suffered a heart attack, revealing on Instagram that he was in hospital.
Robbie Knox worked on Soccer AM between 2000 and 2007, writing and directing parts of the show, as well as featuring onscreen. He organised the musical elements on the show, with acts including the Arctic Monkeys being interviewed. Robbie joined Tim Lovejoy at ChannelBee after leaving Soccer AM and went on to create his own production company called Dry Lunch Productions. He fronted the podcast Thinky Thinky Make Make, and is a co-host of Jaackmaate’s Happy Hour podcast. Robbie is also a YouTuber, making videos about travel, skiing and ‘countryside walks’ with ‘interesting people’.
Since leaving Soccer AM, Sheephead, real name Joe Worsley, has worked as a TV producer and director. He was also part of the team that set up ChannelBee in 2007, where he worked on producing celebrity content. Since then his career has included working as a senior producer and director for FA TV.
The return of the Soccer AM gang is sure to be a hit with fans of the show, and the podcast is sure to be a must-listen for anyone who loves football. With its unique blend of nostalgia, humor and football insight, Soccer A-Z is sure to be a hit with audiences of all ages.
