Katie Shanahan’s unique path to fronting new-look snooker coverage on Channel 5

Snooker comes to Channel 5 with the start of the Players Championship on Tuesday and fans will notice some change and innovation on the coverage.

The Tour Championship and British Open have also found a new home on 5, with the broadcaster snapping up three big ranking events on the World Snooker Tour from their previous landing spots on ITV.

There will be familiar faces and voices on the coverage, from Stephen Hendry to Alan McManus, but there is something of a ‘new channel, new me’ approach to the events.

There will be punditry and commentary from two players we have watched for decades, but who have rarely – if ever – been thrust into the studio or behind a microphone.

Four-time world champion John Higgins and former UK Championship and Masters winner Matthew Stevens will be involved, bringing new points of view to the broadcast team.

On an entirely different note, there is also going to be the debut of a ‘referee cam’ which will get viewers up close and personal with the players, from the official’s perspective.

Footage from ref cam in Premier League football has been fascinating and while this is obviously a completely different kettle of sporting fish, it will be bring a new angle to watching the game.

This is all part of extensive coverage Channel 5 is bringing to the party as programming starts 30 minutes before play begins each session, allowing for plenty of build-up, analysis and snooker chat.

Fronting that coverage will be Katie Shanahan, another change for the new-look show on 5, as she may be a familiar face for sports fans but this will be her snooker presenting debut.

The new challenge is unlikely to phase her, having seen and done plenty in her broadcasting career so far, currently covering the Lionesses on ITV, reporting on Soccer Saturday for Sky and hosting talkSPORT’s Early Sports Breakfast, which comes with a ‘ghastly’ 2.45am alarm.

‘I’m here, there and everywhere,’ Shanahan told Metro. ‘I’m mainly with ITV, Sky Sports and talkSPORT now and I spent seven years at the BBC.

‘I would probably say I’m a multi-sport presenter. It’s been heavily football, but I love all sport. I’ve covered five major football tournaments, two Olympic Games, one Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. I’ve covered rugby, NFL, a Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lords. I can’t wait to get stuck into the snooker next.’

Shanahan came into sports broadcasting after a sporting career of her own, playing hockey for England and travelling the world doing so, which sounds like a lot of fun.

‘I was scouted over here while I was playing for England,’ she explains. ‘And was asked if I would you like a hockey scholarship to go out to the States and play for University of North Carolina? That was a big fat yes.

‘I was there for a bit, having the college lifestyle, which was amazing. It is literally like the movies. Red cups, sororities, frat parties, Halloween, all of that. Then I went out and played hockey in Perth, Australia because they needed some hockey stars to help their league. So went out there to play.’

Katie was dipping her toe into media while at university, but it was a brutal accident on the hockey pitch in her early twenties which ended her playing days instantly and ultimately saw her focus on broadcasting.

‘I basically got a hockey ball smashed at my head, it split my head open and I had to have platsic surgery on my face because basically my facial bones moved out of place,’ she said. ‘Then I had to have spinal reconstruction for six months and I’ve never picked up a hockey stick ever again.

‘The ball hit me in between my eyebrows and fractured my skull. But if it had hit my temple, I would have died on the spot. So I was very fortunate that it just so happened to hit me where it’s pretty solid.’

It took months of recovery, but Shanahan turned the terrifying injury into a positive and found the buzz of playing high level sport in a different setting.

‘Being an athlete and being a broadcaster, it’s still high pressure,’ she said. ‘I used to be a striker for England and was someone that used to put their hand up to take penalties and be willing to do that for the team. I get the same rush when the red light goes on.

‘So on Tuesday when the red light goes on and we’re live, that is what I thrive off. That kind of fills the hole that England hockey left behind. So I really relish those moments because I miss the adrenaline that I used to get from international sport.’

She still gets a kick out of sporting endeavours, running the London marathon last year and now training for an Ironman.

Whether it’s playing elite sport, bouncing back from a hospital bed to become a top broadcaster, or fitting in huge runs in her spare time, Shanahan clearly has an immense work ethic.

She does relax sometimes, though, saying of her time off: ‘I love a chilled Sunday just going out for a dog walk with the family and enjoying a pint in a nice cosy English pub.’

There won’t be chance for any of that next Sunday when the winner of the Players Championship will be crowned and Shanahan will have well and truly transformed from being a snooker casual to being in the thick of a final day.

‘I’ve enjoyed watching snooker over the years,’ she said. ‘I used to cover the big tournaments most days as part of the 5 Live radio team.

‘Actually that whole desk were huge snooker fans, so we’d always have it on and talk about it.

‘I went to the Masters last month which was great, meeting the snooker family, everyone has just been so welcoming.

‘So yes, I’ve dipped in and out over the years, but I just can’t wait to see snooker now thrive on 5 and hopefully everyone enjoys our coverage.’

With just the top 16 on the one-year rankings at the Players Championship, it’s some way to start in snooker for Shanahan, who says of the upcoming event in Telford: ‘I think what goes to show the class an offer over the next week is we’ve got Mark Williams vs Barry Hawkins, who’ve been in the game for over three decades, and they’re on table two!’

It’s true, the 16-man event is full of must-see matches, and that’s even without the withdrawn Ronnie O’Sullivan and the 2025 world champion and reigning Players champ Kyren Wilson, who failed to qualify.

Williams and Hawkins are relegated to table two thanks to reigning world champion Zhao Xintong facing Elliot Slessor.

Elsewhere the highlights include Neil Robertson facing John Higgins, Wu Yize playing Mark Allen and Mark Selby meeting Jack Lisowski.

The afternoon sessions (12.30pm) will be on 5, with the evening sessions (6.30pm) starting on 5 before moving over to 5Action. Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s evening sessions will stay on 5 for the duration.

As per Channel 5: ‘Fans can also enjoy coverage from the second table during the opening two days via a dedicated Snooker Players Championship channel.’