BBC ready to review Sports Personality shortlisting process

The BBC are to review the shortlisting process for next year’s Sports Personality of the Year show after no women made it on to the shortlist for this year’s event.

The announcement of the all-male 2011 shortlist provoked a storm of criticism with world champions such as swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Keri-Anne Payne excluded.

The BBC say they are standing by the current voting process but will review it for next year.

A BBC statement said: “We stand by the current voting process but have committed to take on board what has happened this year and we will review the shortlisting process for next year’s show.

“It is too early to say what, if any changes will be made to the process but please rest assured that we will seek the opinions of people both within and outside of the BBC before deciding on the appropriate methodology for 2012.”

Sue Tibballs, chief executive of the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation, welcomed the announcement.

She said: “We welcome the decision to review the nomination process.

“The huge public outcry has hammered home the point that women’s sport has a far greater fanbase than the media often gives it credit for, hopefully now we’ll see a new process that fully reflects the full breadth of excellence in British sport.”

The shortlist was compiled by a panel of 27 sports editors from national and regional newspapers and magazines – including lads mags Zoo and Nuts – each of whom voted for 10 names. The BBC say they are convinced the system is fair.

The statement added: “The current system was introduced in 2006 and at least two women have always previously been shortlisted for the main award.

“Having considered a wide range of alternative mechanisms, we remain convinced that the current system is fair, independent and robust.

“This is therefore the first time there has been no female representation since the current system was put in place five years ago.

“The ultimate winner of the award is determined solely by a public telephone vote during the show itself.”

Adlington, Payne and taekwondo world champion Sarah Stevenson are among those to have criticised the shortlist.

Four MPs, Stella Creasy, Alison McGovern, Jo Swinson and Joan Walley, wrote to BBC director general Mark Thompson today to complain about the absence of women on the shortlist.

The letter requested a meeting and asked: “Can you explain the reasoning behind the inclusion of the men’s magazines Nuts and Zoo in the nomination process, but the exclusion of equivalent women’s or sports magazines?”