John Dykes facts for kids
John Dykes is a well-known sports TV host, commentator, and journalist. He lives in Singapore. Many people know him for hosting "The John Dykes Show" on Disney+. Before that, he was on Fox Sports Asia. He also used to be the main host for the Premier League's international TV service.
John first became famous in Asia while working for ESPN Star Sports. For over ten years, he hosted their coverage of the Premier League and European football. He also covered many other big sports events around the world.
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About John Dykes
John Dykes was born in Essex, England in 1964. He went to Brentwood School. Later, his family moved to Hong Kong. In 1997, he moved to Singapore, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Starting His Career
John began working in media as a college radio DJ. This was while he was studying English Literature at Warwick University.
After college, he moved to Hong Kong. There, he worked at the South China Morning Post newspaper. He was a Sports Writer, Feature Writer, and Entertainment Editor for the Sunday paper. While in Hong Kong, he also worked at TVB as a showbiz presenter. He hosted TVB's live coverage of the Academy Awards for five years. After that, he switched back to sports. He became a football commentator and presenter with STAR Sports.
Working with ESPN Star Sports
When John first started at ESPN STAR in Singapore, he hosted many different sports. These included tennis, golf, cricket, and rugby.
Some big moments from his time there include:
- Hosting the broadcast of the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England.
- Traveling to Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows. There, he worked with tennis legend Vijay Amritraj on Grand Slam tennis.
- Working in Augusta for Tiger Woods' big win at the 2001 Masters.
Over the years, he also hosted "Inside Cricket" and "Raceday," a pre-show for Formula One. He also helped launch "Sportsline" in India, which was like "SportsCenter" later on.
Football at ESPN Star
From 2001 to 2010, John Dykes was the main football host for ESPN Star Sports. He covered live Premier League matches and post-match shows like "Final Score." He also hosted "Football Focus" and "First Edition."
His popular "Up Close" series featured long interviews with football stars. These included David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Michel Platini, and Sir Bobby Robson. John also worked with Sky Sports' Richard Keys on "First Edition." This weekly show covered major football news from across Europe.
John left ESPN Star Sports in March 2010. He hosted his final shows, which were for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in June–July 2010.
Premier League TV Host
In March 2010, it was announced that John Dykes would join the Premier League's own content service. This service started in August 2010. It is a 24/7 channel made in London specifically for TV companies around the world. It shows off the 20 Premier League clubs. It also gives international broadcasters new English language shows from a studio.
John hosted "Matchday Live" every weekend. He also hosted "Football Today," a discussion show, twice a week. He worked on the "Barclays Asia Trophy" tournaments in Hong Kong in 2011 and 2013. He also hosted "BPL Live" fan events in Mumbai in 2014 and Cape Town in 2016.
In 2016, John became the commentator for the 3 PM "Goal Rush" kickoffs. He would broadcast goals from many matches happening at the same time. Manish Bhasin took over his role on "Matchday Live" on Saturdays. John then hosted the Sunday edition of "Matchday Live."
Many TV companies around the world liked John. They asked him to help with their own Premier League shows and promotions. He worked with SuperSport in Africa, Star Sports in India, Orange in Indonesia, Singapore's mioTV, Hong Kong's nowTV, and CTH in Thailand.
He left Premier League Productions after the 2016-17 Premier League Season ended.
Back in Singapore
On May 29, 2017, it was announced that John Dykes would return to Singapore. He would host a new show about English Football on Fox Sports Asia. This meant he was working again with the team he had left at ESPN Star Sports, which had become FOX Sports Asia.
His new show, "The John Dykes Show," started on July 31, 2017. It was a chat show that aired three times a week. It mainly covered English football. John was also a popular host for events, including for the Asian Football Confederation. He also wrote articles for www.foxsportsasia.com.
When Disney bought Fox Sports International, John also helped with ESPN International's "SportsCenter." He was a regular guest during the Euro 2020 football tournament.
In November 2021, Disney launched "The John Dykes Show" weekly. It streams on Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. It launched in Singapore and Hong Kong on Disney+ in January 2022. The show covers football leagues and tournaments in Southeast Asia. It also focuses on big topics in European and English football. Michael Owen is a regular guest. John co-hosts the show with Singaporean football expert Rhysh Roshan Rai.
In February 2022, it was announced that John Dykes would be back on screens in India and nearby countries. He would host a weekly show called "The Top Corner, with John Dykes" on the Sony Sports Network.
Personal Life
John Dykes is a citizen of Singapore. He lives there with his wife and two daughters.
