Zara Phillips is bookies’ favourite for BBC Sport Personality of the Year 2006 but it is the British public which will decide whether she takes the title. This year’s BBC winner will be disclosed during a live broadcast on 10 December, but the result will be based on public votes. In 2005, cricketer Andrew Flintoff won with 193,000 votes.
Equestrian enthusiasts will be able to vote for Zara by post or on the internet: “If Zara won the award this year it would be a huge boost for the equestrian world but to achieve this we need everyone to cast their vote,” said a spokesperson for the British Equestrian Federation.
The nomination process is open to all Britain’s sporting heros but 25-year-old Zara will undoubtedly prove tough opposition. After winning the individual gold medal at the European Three-Day Championships last year, she was crowned World Eventing Champion at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen this September.
A 10-strong shortlist, drawn from the public nominations along with votes cast by an expert panel, will be announced on 4 December – six days before the programme. Viewers of the live programme will decide the eventual winner by telephone or text voting during the show. “This will, we believe, be the fairest and most transparent way of running the competition,” said Carl Doran, programme editor.
Nominations must be received by 15 November. To nominate Zara Phillips click here and enter your vote in the top right corner.
Alternatively send your nomination to the address below, with the word VOTE marked at the top left of the envelope.
Sports Personality of the Year
Room 7075
Television Centre
Wood Lane
W12 7RJ
