Jacqui Oatley MBE is a trailblazing sports broadcaster, experienced live event host and sought-after keynote speaker who works across men’s and women’s sport in the UK and internationally.
She made broadcasting history in 2007 as the first female football commentator on the BBC’s Match of the Day, breaking new ground in one of sport’s most male dominated roles. Since then, Jacqui has become one of the most respected voices in football, covering 15 major international tournaments including men’s and women’s Euros, World Cups and Olympic Games. She will commentate on site at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Across a career spanning more than two decades, Jacqui has worked across the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the Women’s Super League, and regularly commentates for ESPN and CBS on NWSL coverage in the United States. She has also anchored ITV’s darts coverage for more than a decade and was the host of Sky Sports’ Sunday Supplement, moderating high-profile football debate among leading journalists.
A skilled interviewer and moderator, Jacqui has conducted conversations with some of the most significant names in sport and is highly regarded for her ability to lead engaging discussions, manage differing viewpoints and bring clarity, energy and authority to live events.
Beyond broadcasting, Jacqui has been a long-standing advocate for women in sport, becoming a founding board member of the organisation Women in Football in 2007. In recognition of her contribution to broadcasting and diversity in sport, she was awarded an MBE in 2016.
As a keynote speaker, Jacqui shares the inspiring story of how she left a secure career in her late twenties to pursue her dream of working in football commentary - retraining from scratch in an industry where women were rarely heard, let alone welcomed. From work experience and overnight radio shifts to front-page headlines as the first female commentator on Match of the Day, her journey is a powerful story of resilience, leadership, courage and breaking barriers.