By Danny Gutmann

Copyright walesonline

Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan has opened up on life since joining the BBC show’s new-look presenting team. Following the news that Gary Lineker would be leaving the show earlier this year, it was revealed that Gabby would team up with Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates in leading the show’s output for the foreseeable future. While she has said she has mostly received positive feedback from viewers since starting the role last month , she admitted that she has also been on the receiving end of negative social media comments over the course of her career. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail, she explained how words of advice from America’s Olympic champion Michael Johnson helped her change her outlook: “At the beginning I wanted to reply to all those types of things, but then Michael Johnson said to me, ‘Gabby, I saw you, you’ve got 500,000 followers on Twitter , why are you responding to that guy who has got two followers? You’re giving him oxygen?’ and I thought, ‘Do you know what? He’s right.'” Explaining how the athlete’s words gave her some much-needed clarity on the situation, she added: “The people who matter are your producer, your peers, and the people that you are working with.” Reiterating that her priority is to make sure the show runs smoothly, she explained how she now manages to block out unnecessary negativity: “For me, that is more important than what some faceless bloke on social media thinks about me.” While her latest career milestone has seen her take up the reins of co-presenting Match of the Day, her role hosting the BBC show is just the latest in a long career in broadcasting. It was announced in January that following Gary Lineker’s more than two decades heading up Match of the Day coverage, the new trio would share hosting duties for the main show as well as Match of the Day 2 on Sundays and MOTD: Champions League on Wednesdays. Reflecting on her career, Gabby recalled one of her first professional experiences at the BBC, which came on MOTD: “One of the first things I did when I came to the BBC was fill in on Match of the Day, and at that point, when I was in that chair at the old BBC studio in London and hearing the music, it was a real hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moment.” Over the years, she has helped host coverage of major sporting events including the 2012 Olympic Games in London, World Cups, European Championships, Champions League finals, and the Six Nations Championship. In more recent times, she has found huge success hosting her Mid Point podcast, where she invites a wide range of celebrities and health professionals to discuss their lives and expertise. Some of her most notable guests include Sir Chris Hoy, Claudia Winkleman, Professor Steve Peters, Naga Munchetty, and Russell Kane.