- Nasima Akter
Footballers Who Appeared on Reality TV
Footballers often get spotted in different events and ads for sponsorships. However, there are times when a player is spotted on the television outside of games. Specifically, some players have appeared in reality shows.
Reality shows tend to feature a variety of celebrities from diverse fields, and sports personalities are no exception. These are some players that have taken part/ made an appearance in different shows:
Glenn Hoddle in The Masked Singer
The Masked Singer is a popular reality singing competition show known for unveiling surprise celebrities with a talent for singing. In the second season in 2020-2021, legendary soccer player Glenn Hoddle joined that list of surprising singers.
Hoddle was the Grandfather Clock on the show and managed to make it to week four on the show, impressing people with his vocal ability.
As a former English player, Hoddle is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. After retiring, Hoddle transitioned to coaching and managed several clubs, including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national team. Currently, he works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and BT Sport.
Hope Solo in Dancing with the Stars
Hope Amelia Stevens (nee Solo), a retired American soccer goalkeeper, proved that she had talents beyond the field by showcasing her moves on the dance floor. In 2011, she joined the 13th season of Dancing with Stars.
Dancing with the Stars is an American dance competition television showing plenty of celebrities with surprising talent on the dance floor. Hope proved to be on the list by making it to week nine on the show.
Before she retired, Solo was a goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer team from 2000 to 2016. She is also a World Cup champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Bruce Grobbelaar in Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen is known as a tough cooking competition with plenty of pressure. Although the current format features Gordon Ramsay mentoring some of the world's best up-and-coming chefs as they compete for a contract to work at one of his restaurants, that was not always the case.
In the past, we would see celebrities compete against each other, and Bruce Grobbelaar was one of them. Grobbelaar participated in the show in 2009, which saw the return of Marco Pierre White as Head Chef rather than Gordon. Despite impressing with his culinary skills, Bruce eventually left the show.
As a footballer, Grobbelaar was a former Zimbabwean professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, most prominently for the English team Liverpool between 1981 and 1994 and for the Zimbabwean national team.
Ian Wright in I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
Over the years, numerous soccer players have appeared on the show "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" and one of the standout contestants was Ian Wright.
The legendary Arsenal and England striker appeared in the 19th season of the series and reached fifth place on the show. His reactions were often legendary during his time on the show as he had to try and get through the different critters.
During his football years, Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal as a forward, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. After retirement, he went on to become an English television and radio personality.
Jermaine Jenas in The Great British Baking Show
The Great British Baking Show has often left viewers laughing with the baking attempts by different celebrities. Over the years, the show has become popular and featured plenty of many celebrity specials with big names involved.
Jermaine Jenas was one of those big names. He was featured in the show in 2016 and had plenty of viewers laughing. Currently, he is an English television presenter and football pundit.
Currently, there are still footballers that have reportedly signed up for appearances in different shows, but the footballers above are just some who made an impact.
