Inside Jill Douglas' life from sportsman husband to snooker star apology

Jill Douglas is in the middle of one of her busiest periods as one of the hosts of Six Nations coverage and is scheduled to appear on James Martin's Saturday Morning on Saturday, February 21 (ET). The timing has prompted renewed interest in her career, family ties to rugby and two well-publicised on-air clashes that drew attention during major events.

Jill Douglas' broadcasting career

Raised in Bonchester Bridge in the Scottish Borders, Jill Douglas built her broadcasting résumé beginning with a regional news magazine. She moved into national rugby union programming in 1997 and joined a major sports network in 1999, contributing to rugby and athletics coverage. In 2003 she returned to a national broadcaster as a principal presenter, expanding her remit to rugby union, cycling and multi-sport events including the Olympic Games. Over the years she has also worked across other sports channels.

Her profile has grown steadily; she received an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours and became CEO of the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation in 2017 amid a friendship with Scottish rugby figure Doddie Weir, who later died. Those roles have become part of how she is known off-screen as much as her presenting work.

Family and sport ties

Jill Douglas and her husband, Carl Hogg, live in Cheltenham and keep their family life largely private. The couple have two children, Keith and Rosie. Hogg has a long playing and leadership record: he made 17 appearances for Scotland 'A' between 1992 and 2000 and captained that side on six occasions. Between 1992 and 1994 he also made five appearances for Scotland, earning five caps, and he is currently director of academy and development for Gloucester Rugby.

On-air rows and responses

Two episodes from major sporting events stand out in Douglas' public profile. At the 2016 Rio Games she began an interview with Bradley Wiggins when fellow presenter Steve Redgrave stepped in and embraced Wiggins at the velodrome; Douglas told Redgrave, "Let me do this. " The exchange produced a brief awkward moment on air, and she later downplayed any suggestion of a longer dispute and posted a picture of the pair smiling with a caption that played on the moment.

More recently she was on the receiving end of a sharp response from snooker player Shaun Murphy while presenting at the Players Championship. After she questioned him about suggested lapses in concentration, he launched a strong on-camera complaint dismissing the suggestion as "ridiculous" and criticised what he called lazy journalism. He later apologised, delivering a bottle of wine and a card to Douglas and acknowledging he had been wrong to "leap down her throat. " The public apology closed that episode.

Those confrontations have been framed as brief, public rows rather than sustained controversies; Douglas has continued her presenting work and charity leadership in their aftermath.

What to watch next

Douglas remains a visible presence during the rugby calendar as she fronts Six Nations coverage, and her scheduled television appearance on Saturday, February 21 (ET) will keep her in the public eye. If her role across the tournament continues, she is likely to remain in one of her busiest stretches of the year, balancing high-profile live coverage with charity and occasional guest appearances.

• Career: Regional start, national rugby presenting from 1997 and broader sports coverage from 2003.
• Family: Married to former Scotland international Carl Hogg; two children.
• Public moments: On-air exchange at the 2016 Olympics and a later apology from a snooker player after an outburst.