Wimbledon icon-turned-television-pundit Tim Henman has revealed he rejected the BBC’s invitation to appear on Strictly Come Dancing following his retirement. The 51-year-old reached the semi-finals at SW19 on four separate occasions throughout a distinguished playing career.
Henman is undeniably one of Britain’s greatest tennis legends. The Olympic silver medallist and former World No.4 was the defining figure of the sport in this country throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, shouldering the enormous burden of a nation’s hopes before Andy Murray burst onto the scene. The six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist claimed 15 ATP Tour titles and holds a special place in Wimbledon folklore, with the grassy mound outside No.1 Court famously christened Henman Hill in his honour.
He retired in 2007 and within a year had transitioned into broadcasting, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the BBC‘s Wimbledon coverage while also featuring on Sky Sports and TNT Sports. Yet before the corporation snapped him up as a pundit, he firmly declined their offer to strut his stuff on Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking to the i, Henman disclosed that barely 30 minutes after announcing his retirement, the BBC had already come knocking. He said: “I got invited to go on Strictly Come Dancing the day I retired in 2007. Literally half an hour after I’d made the announcement.
“My answer? I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. I danced very briefly at my wedding in 1999, but not many times since. If you see me on Strictly or in the jungle (I’m a Celebrity), you know something’s gone wrong.”
The BBC wasn’t left disappointed by Henman’s rejection, as he subsequently joined its Wimbledon commentary team. He’ll be prominent at SW19 again this year, though not all of his recollections from the tournament are fond ones.
Henman recounted an incident from 1995 in which a minor moment of frustration resulted in his immediate disqualification. He said: “I was the first person to be disqualified at Wimbledon in 120 years.
“It was 1995 and I was playing doubles with Jeremy Bates, and we were two sets to one up. We were in the fourth set tie-break, so we were about to win.
“So, it wasn’t as if I was having some massive tantrum, but our opponents hit two very lucky shots in a row in the tie break, and it was now their serve.
“I had the ball in my pocket for my second serve, but I made my first serve, so I was hitting the ball down the other end in slight frustration without really looking. And as I hit the ball, the ball girl who was the other side of the net popped her head up to run across to the other side, and I hit her in the head.”