BBC Question of Sport presenter and former England star 'on verge of bankruptcy'

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Former England rugby star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ugo Monye is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy after a turbulent few years.

Greene King and settle in for the 2025 Six Nations!

A bankruptcy petition was lodged on December 4, a year after Monye was forced to liquidate his wellness company, Show Me The Monye, over an unpaid tax bill of almost £200,000. The company, which he founded in 2012, was officially wound up after HMRC secured a court order in late 2023, paving the way for authorities to seize his assets.

A Fall from the Small Screen

Monye’s financial struggles come more than a year after the BBC axed A Question of Sport, where he starred as a team captain alongside Sam Quek and Paddy McGuinness. The revamped version of the iconic sports quiz show struggled to attract viewers, with ratings plummeting from four million to just 800,000 before the BBC finally pulled the plug in December 2023.

Despite the setback, Monye has remained a key voice in rugby media, working as a pundit for TNT Sports and co-hosting the Rugby Union Weekly podcast for the BBC.

Strictly, Split, and Retirement

Monye, who retired from professional rugby in 2015 after a successful 13-year career with Harlequins, also gained mainstream attention through his stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.

Paired with Oti Mabuse, his time on the show was overshadowed by personal turmoil, as he announced his separation from his wife just a week before the competition began.

At the time, Monye dismissed speculation about the so-called Strictly Curse, blaming the Covid pandemic for the breakdown of his marriage.

"It's been a tough period for us both," he told The Sun. "Forget the Strictly curse – it's the Covid curse!"

Now, with financial troubles looming, Monye faces yet another major challenge off the pitch.

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Six players who flopped in the Six Nations today – "Miles off it"

Six Nations Saturday saw plenty of drama, but not every player rose to the occasion. While Italy stunned Wales and England edged past France, these six players had performances they'd rather forget.

#1. Antoine Dupont (France)

Rugby Pass 5/10: “By Antoine Dupont's insuperable standards, this was not vintage. Controlled the game with both feet and mixed his kicking to keep Marcus Smith guessing. But he had a few sloppy passes in him, including a hospital pass to Alexandre Roumat. Looked to be in for a certain try soon after, but spilt a pass with the try line beckoning. Had the ball ripped from his clutches by Tom Curry just metres from England's line early in the second 40. Not too bad by a normal player's standards, but for Dupont, this was quite error-strewn. There were, of course, still moments of pure genius.”

Mail Online 6/10: “He’s human after all. Not immune to French tension and far from imperious best but arcing run set up one try and long passes helped create two others.”

#2. Josh Adams (Wales)

RUCK 3/10: “After hitting a milestone last timeout against France, Adams probably was looking for a much better performance than last week in Paris. He did have two opportunities from kicks in behind but, again, didn't see much of the ball. The 29-year-old was also awarded a yellow card on 58 minutes for making contact with Paolo Garbisi's head, perhaps he can count himself lucky that it wasn't a red.”

Planet Rugby 4/10: “Looked pretty threatening throughout, but just blew two huge opportunities that could have swung the game back to Wales, and you think he would have nabbed these a few years ago. Lucky to escape a red card too for his challenge on Paolo Garbisi.”

Wales Online 4/10: “Butchered two try-scoring opportunity by spilling the ball forward with the line at his mercy, albeit in difficult conditions. Received a yellow card for a cynical high shot on Paolo Garbisi.”

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