Lee McKenzie (male sports broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Lee McKenzie is a British broadcaster who specialises in sport, particularly horse racing. He has worked for BBC
TV and Radio, Channel 4
, Sky Sports
, At The Races
and Racing UK
.
From June 2001 for two years he was the BBC
's full-time radio horse racing racing commentator, succeeding the legendary Peter Bromley
and commentating on every major race in the UK. He has nominated the 1993 "void" Grand National
at Aintree Racecourse
as his most memorable commentary, during which he was reputedly the first person to describe it as "The Grand National That Never Was", a name by which it is still generally known.
He also represented BBC Radio as equestrian reporter at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney and in the mid 1990s was regular stand-in for Jeff Stelling
on Sky TV
's horse racing show The Winning Post.
He has presented many TV and radio shows outside horse racing, including the daily sports round-up on BBC South
alongside Roger Johnson (TV presenter)
on the weekday evening BBC South Today programme. In his early days he worked for BBC Radio Solent
, where he hosted the Sunday morning music and phone-in show Sunday Scene with former Family Favourites presenter Sandi Jones. He has continued to work for BBC TV and Radio.
Since 2004 he has been the trackside announcer at Glorious Goodwood, where in August 2010, live on Channel 4 Racing
, he was the first person ever to announce the result of a televised stewards' inquiry in the UK. Since March 2009 he has performed the same role of announcer at the annual Cheltenham Festival
.
On 20 April 2008 he was the first-ever commentator at Great Leighs Racecourse
, Britain's first new racetrack for 81 years. As well as commentating at racecourses in the UK, he shares commentary duties with Mark Johnson (announcer)
at race meetings in Jersey
and Guernsey
.
In August 2010 he commentated to a worldwide TV audience for Olympic Broadcasting Services
on football, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting at the Youth Olympic Games
in Singapore.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV and Radio, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, At The Races
At the Races
At The Races is a British television channel, originally co-founded with Channel 4, but now owned by a partnership between British Sky Broadcasting, Arena Leisure Plc and 30 UK racecourses....
and Racing UK
Racing UK
Racing UK Limited was launched as a subscription channel in 2004 with 30 racecourses as shareholders. As Racing UK grew several other business units and joint ventures were developed....
.
From June 2001 for two years he was the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's full-time radio horse racing racing commentator, succeeding the legendary Peter Bromley
Peter Bromley
Peter Bromley was BBC Radio's voice of horse racing for 40 years, and one of the most famous and recognised sports broadcasters in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
and commentating on every major race in the UK. He has nominated the 1993 "void" Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
at Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
as his most memorable commentary, during which he was reputedly the first person to describe it as "The Grand National That Never Was", a name by which it is still generally known.
He also represented BBC Radio as equestrian reporter at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney and in the mid 1990s was regular stand-in for Jeff Stelling
Jeff Stelling
Robert Jeffrey "Jeff" Stelling is an English sports journalist and sport television presenter, of Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports and other programming for the satellite broadcaster. In January 2009 he took over as host of the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown...
on Sky TV
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
's horse racing show The Winning Post.
He has presented many TV and radio shows outside horse racing, including the daily sports round-up on BBC South
BBC South
BBC South is the BBC English Region serving West Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, western Berkshire, Oxfordshire, south east Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.-Television:...
alongside Roger Johnson (TV presenter)
Roger Johnson (TV presenter)
Roger Johnson is an English journalist and presenter, currently working as the main presenter for the BBC regional news programme North West Tonight.Johnson was previously a sports presenter on BBC South's news programme South Today...
on the weekday evening BBC South Today programme. In his early days he worked for BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent
BBC Radio Solent is the BBC Local Radio service for the Isle of Wight and the English counties of Hampshire and Dorset. Its studios are located in Southampton, in the same purpose-built office block in Havelock Road as the BBC South Today news studios, and there are district offices in Portsmouth,...
, where he hosted the Sunday morning music and phone-in show Sunday Scene with former Family Favourites presenter Sandi Jones. He has continued to work for BBC TV and Radio.
Since 2004 he has been the trackside announcer at Glorious Goodwood, where in August 2010, live on Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
, he was the first person ever to announce the result of a televised stewards' inquiry in the UK. Since March 2009 he has performed the same role of announcer at the annual Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious meetings in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, and has race prize money second only to the Grand National...
.
On 20 April 2008 he was the first-ever commentator at Great Leighs Racecourse
Great Leighs Racecourse
Great Leighs Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Great Leighs near Chelmsford, Essex, England. When it opened in April 2008 it was the first completely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927...
, Britain's first new racetrack for 81 years. As well as commentating at racecourses in the UK, he shares commentary duties with Mark Johnson (announcer)
Mark Johnson (announcer)
Mark Johnson is a British thoroughbred horse racing announcer in both the United States and United Kingdom.Born in Skegness, Lincolnshire, Johnson attended King Alfred's College in Winchester, Hampshire and London College of Printing in Elephant and Castle, London receiving a bachelor's degree in...
at race meetings in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
and Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
.
In August 2010 he commentated to a worldwide TV audience for Olympic Broadcasting Services
Olympic Broadcasting Services
Olympic Broadcasting Services is an agency of the International Olympic Committee, established in 2001 to be responsible for host broadcasting - the world feeds provided to all international broadcasters of the Olympic Games from 2008 on, and provide continuity in Olympic coverage from one Games...
on football, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting at the Youth Olympic Games
Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event first held in Singapore from August 14 to August 26, 2010. The games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format. The age limitation of the athletes is between 14 to 18...
in Singapore.