Sue Barker
Mary Peters. When I was having my sulky, stroppy, bad loser phase I watched her at the Olympics. Sometimes she failed but always with a smile and good grace. She taught me how to win and lose, and I have a photo taken with her in my lounge.Collection: Smile
Everyone loves sport. And everyone loves a quiz.
Sports Personality of the Year' is such an iconic sort of programme, I remember when I was playing tennis, wherever I was in the world I would want to be back in Britain for 'Sports Personality of the Year.'
I'd grown up with Wimbledon, and so to play on Centre Court really was a dream come true.
Wimbledon is a special place for me in so many ways and I feel privileged to have been such a big part of it over the years.
I never dreamed when I was competing at The Championships that I would one day be interviewing the winners on Centre Court for the BBC.
I still get goose-bumps when I walk into the All England Lawn Tennis Club at the start of tournament and that will never change.
Billie-Jean King used to take me out on court and say that she just wanted to watch my forehand. You can't get greater praise than that.
I'd earned enough money, I had a flat in Wimbledon, I did some corporate things, but I was really unhappy. After being challenged all my life, suddenly there were no challenges any more.
In 1980 I was attacked by a dog in Spain and was temporarily blinded in one eye - I thought it would end my tennis career.
For a long time I was terrified of dogs, but now I get so much pleasure from them.
But you are always remembered for how many Slams you win, not weeks at No. 1.
When I became a presenter, Bob Wilson was the only other ex-sportsman doing it.
The majority of people don't even realise I was a tennis player. The older you get, the less people remember what you did before.
It doesn't worry me how I'm remembered.
You want to do it on your own terms - not to be forced out because your body breaks down. I had to quit because of injury and I was crying for weeks. I used to wake up in the morning and think 'what am I getting up for now?'
For me, I still wish every day that I could play tennis again. It's such an incredible, wonderful job to have.
I know what it is to win and to lose, and the last thing you want when you've lost is to have a microphone stuck under your nose.
I get very emotional when British players are playing.
I wouldn't have wanted to be in any other era. Chrissie Evert, Martina Navratilova, Virginia Wade, Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court were fabulous people, and I made great friends along the way.
When I was playing, all my overseas trips were paid for by the LTA, then by my coach, and from whatever prize-money I made I would have to pay back as much as I could of the fare. Only once that was paid could I keep the extra, and that was a powerful incentive.
I work on 'A Question of Sport' which comes out of Manchester and you see how it's important to take parts of the BBC to other parts of the nation.
The more publicity the better.
I suppose it must be true that if you have a bad practice, you'll probably have a good match!
It has been an honour to present BBC 'Sports Personality Of The Year' for the last 19 years and I have loved every minute of it. The BBC have asked me to stay but I had made the decision to downsize my commitments a while ago, and I knew that the time would be right after what was always set to be a magical 2012.
Tennis is a battle of the minds, just as much as it is a battle of playing ability. Trying to expose your opponent's weaknesses is one of the most vital and fascinating facets of tennis.Collection: Tennis
It was another nervous Tim Henman match - I'm not sure how he manages to get through them, let alone us!Collection: Nervous
How fitting [it would be if Roger Federer played the first match under the roof] ... he has become known in recent years as the King of Wimbledon ... and this is the day after of the death of the King of Pop.Collection: Kings
... and later we'll have action from the men's cockles pairs.Collection: Men