Andrew Castle facts for kids
Castle in 2009
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| Country (sports) |  Great Britain |
|---|---|
| Residence | London, England |
| Born | 15 November 1963 Epsom, Surrey, England |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Turned pro | 1986 |
| Retired | 1992 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $344,337 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 22–57 (27.85% at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour, WCT tour, and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 80 (13 June 1988) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (1987, 1988, 1991) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1986, 1987) |
| US Open | 3R (1987) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | 2R (1988) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 63–70 (at ATP Tour, Grand Prix tour, WCT tour, and Grand Slam level, and in Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 45 (19 December 1988) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1988) |
| French Open | 3R (1987) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1986, 1987) |
| US Open | QF (1990) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1987) |
Andrew Castle (born 15 November 1963) is a well-known British TV and radio presenter. Before becoming a broadcaster, he was a professional tennis player.
In 1986, Andrew Castle was the top singles tennis player in Great Britain. He reached a world ranking of No. 80 in singles in 1988. In doubles, he reached No. 45 in the world, often playing with Tim Wilkison from the United States.
During his tennis career, Castle made it to one major final at a Grand Slam event. This was in 1987 at the 1987 Australian Open in mixed doubles with his partner Anne Hobbs. He also won three ATP titles in men's doubles. He earned over $344,000 in prize money.
After his tennis career, Andrew Castle became a popular TV presenter. From 2000 to 2010, he hosted GMTV, a breakfast show on ITV. He also presented the game show Divided. Later, he joined LBC radio in 2013. He has also appeared on popular shows like Strictly Come Dancing.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrew Castle was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. When he was 15, his parents separated. He had won a tennis scholarship to Millfield School in Somerset. After his parents separated, he had to leave.
He then received another scholarship to study in Kansas, USA. While there, he taught tennis to both kids and adults at the Wichita Racquet Club. His father used to run fish shops in different parts of England. One of his father's customers was Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill.
Tennis Career Highlights
Andrew Castle became a professional tennis player in 1986. Before that, he earned a marketing degree while on a sports scholarship in the United States. During his time as a player, he was often ranked as the number one tennis player in Great Britain.
In 1986, he reached the third round at the Queens Club tournament. He won three doubles titles on the professional tour. He also reached the mixed doubles final at the 1987 Australian Open. His best singles performance at a Grand Slam was at the 1987 US Open. There, he reached the third round before losing to the famous player Boris Becker.
Castle represented Great Britain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was also a regular player for the British Davis Cup team. His highest world rankings were No. 80 in singles and No. 45 in doubles.
Even today, Andrew Castle still plays tennis and represents Surrey in squash at the over-45s level.
Singles Finals: 1 (1 Runner-up)
Andrew Castle reached one singles final in his career. He finished as the runner-up.
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Apr 1988 | Seoul Open, South Korea | Hard |  Dan Goldie |
3–6, 7–6(7–5), 0–6 |
Doubles Finals: 5 (3 Titles, 2 Runners-up)
Andrew Castle played in five doubles finals, winning three of them.
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Apr 1988 | Seoul Open, South Korea | Hard |  Roberto Saad |
|
6–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Aug 1988 | Toronto, Canada | Hard | Tim Wilkison |
|
6–7(3–7), 3–6 |
| Win | 2–1 | Aug 1988 | Rye Brook, USA | Hard | Tim Wilkison |
|
4–6, 7–5, 7–6 |
| Win | 3–1 | Jan 1990 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard |  Nduka Odizor |
|
7–6, 6–2 |
| Loss | 3–2 | Jun 1991 | Manchester, England | Grass | Nick Brown |
|
4–6, 3–6 |
Mixed Doubles Final: 1 (1 Runner-up)
Andrew Castle reached one mixed doubles final, which was at a Grand Slam.
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1987 | Australian Open | Grass | Anne Hobbs |
Zina Garrison Sherwood Stewart |
6–3, 6–7(5–7), 3–6 |
Broadcasting Career
After ending his professional tennis career in 1992, Andrew Castle started working in broadcasting. He became a commentator and presenter for Sky Sports. He covered not only tennis but also basketball, motor racing, and golf.
In September 2000, he joined GMTV as a presenter. He worked on the show for ten years, leaving in September 2010 when the program ended.
He is also a key part of the BAFTA-nominated BBC tennis team. He covers major tournaments like Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Australian Open. Since 2003, Castle has been the main commentator for all men's singles finals. He has worked alongside famous tennis players like John McEnroe and Boris Becker.
Andrew Castle has also hosted other TV shows. He presented the quiz show Perseverance and two series of the game show Divided on ITV. In 2010, he took part in the ITV adventure show 71 Degrees North.
He used to present a breakfast show on Smooth Radio. Later, he hosted a weekend breakfast show on the radio station LBC. He stopped broadcasting on LBC in November 2023.
Strictly Come Dancing
In 2008, Andrew Castle took part in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing. This is a popular TV show where celebrities learn to dance with professional partners. His dance partner was Ola Jordan.
Andrew and Ola danced several styles, including the Cha-Cha-Cha, Tango, and Samba. After seven weeks, he was voted off the show. He scored 21 points for his samba, which placed him near the bottom of the judges' scores that week. He was in the "dance-off" against Heather Small, who the judges chose to save.
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Result | ||||
| Horwood | Phillips | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Mercy" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 3 | Tango / "20th Century Boy" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 22 | Safe |
| 5 | American Smooth / "You Know I'm No Good" | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 17 | Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz / "Annie's Song" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 24 | Bottom Two |
| 7 | Samba / "Ain't it Funny" | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 21 | Eliminated |
Personal Life
Andrew Castle is married to Sophia Runham. They got married in May 1991. They have two daughters together. One of their daughters, Georgina Castle, is a musical theatre actress.
Andrew Castle is also the great-great-grandson of Annie Besant. She was a very important person in history. Annie Besant supported women's rights and worked for social change. She also helped countries like Ireland and India gain more self-rule.
