Presenter Tom White has said he has been through ‘hell’ during a prolonged absence from his role on Sky Sports News.
White, who has not been seen on TV screens since the first quarter of last year, posted on Instagram on Wednesday, alongside a picture with his wife Natasha and their son.
In the message, White – who has been a presenter on Sky Sports since 2013 – said ‘the trauma will never leave us’ as he thanked those who had supported him.
‘It’s been a difficult year. My family and I have been through hell. But it’s finally all over,’ He wrote, accompanied by a heart emoji. ‘Thank you to everyone who has been there for us. I will never forget your support. The trauma will never leave us, but we’re excited for happier times. Starting now!
‘As for my wife, she kept me going. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her and my amazing son. I get emotional thinking about the love they have shown me when I needed it the most. Thank you. (Tasha hates this picture! But we’re all smiling, and it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to do that)!’
White’s Sky Sports colleagues Pete Graves and Rachel Brookes were among those to post a heart emoji in response to the picture on Instagram.
Tom White posted on a picture with his wife Natasha and their son on Instagram on Wednesday
The Sky Sports News presenter has not been on TV screens for around a year (pictured in 2023)
White had been a regular on Sky Sports News, first hosting the Through the Night programme before working on the Transfer Show, the broadcaster’s coverage of deadline day and Good Morning Sports Fans, among others.
White, who is from Edinburgh and is a famous fan of Championship side Sunderland, has not featured on any of the network’s programming for almost a year. No reason has been given by Sky Sports for his absence.
His emotional post with his wife, whom he wed in December 2022, was his first since he deactivated his Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram last year.
It comes after Mail Sport revealed Sky Sports is set to make a number of well-known faces redundant as part of a transformation of the channel.
The broadcaster broke the news to shocked staff on Tuesday afternoon at their London headquarters.
Insiders have insisted that the move is not a cost-cutting measure while a spokesperson said it was aimed at ‘making us more agile and better equipped to serve audiences’.
It is thought a number of well-established reporters and presenters are to go. At this stage it is not clear whether White is among those affected.
The restructuring from the US-owned company has not been taken lightly, according to sources.
White has been a presenter with Sky Sports since 2013 (pictured in May 2022)
White and his wife pictured at the EFL Awards in 2024
The priority, among bosses, is to ensure that the department adapts to meet the changing behaviours of audiences and is ‘faster, more flexible and more creative’.
They insist that Sky Sports News, which is the UK’s only 24/7 sports news channel, will continue to focus on breaking news stories and that output will not be significantly altered. The redundancies are limited to presenters and reporters.
A Sky Sports News spokesperson said: ‘We’ve shared proposals with the Sky Sports News team to change how we’re structured, aimed at making us more agile and better equipped to serve audiences across TV, digital and social.
‘A small number of roles are impacted, and we are now entering a period of consultation with those colleagues.’
