BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 LIVE WINNERS: Keely Hodgkinson WINS iconic award as Littler is named Young SPOTY

History made

Keely Hodgkinson winning the 2024 Sports Personality of the Year meant that there have been four consecutive female winners for the first time.

• 2021 - Emma Raducanu
• 2022 - Beth Mead
• 2023 - Mary Earps
• 2024 - Keely Hodgkinson

New year, new Yee

A top six finish for men's gold medal winning triathlete Alex Yee, and there's clearly plenty left in the tank for the 26-year-old.

He had a remarkable 2024 season, culminating in two individual triathlon gold medals on the global stage.

But a new challenge awaits, and it's the London Marathon.

On taking part in the next London Marathon: "For me, London Marathon has been a special day.

"I remember leaning over the barrier as a child and now to have an opportunity to do that is exciting. I still have LA Games firmly in my sights."

Well done, dad!

When did Luke Littler realise that darts was going to be his main focus?

Well it was when his dad hung up his son's football boots, of course!

"It was when my dad started to hang my football boots up for me when I was 11 or 12," Littler said. "I was playing darts and football but he made the right decision."

Absent snooker

Snooker was mentioned in the year's highlights during one of the several montages, but there was no sign of snooker in this year's nominees.

And that's not best pleased World Championship winner Kyren Wilson, who was overlooked for a place on the shortlist for the prestigious award.

"A lot of the time in sport it's about if your face fits, not necessarily the achievements," Wilson told Sportsboom.

"I think snooker stands in that bracket as a whole, not just me missing out. It's one of the most skilled sports in the entire world. Our viewing figures speak volumes.

"I just think some of the people don't understand the sport, or follow it like the likes of us do. They don't understand what goes into being a professional snooker player.

"The amount of hours on the road, the amount of air miles, the amount of practice. You're locked away in a room on your own. There's a lot more to it than hitting balls, and I think a lot of the organisations don't see that."

Steve Davis remains the solitary snooker player to have won the prize in 1988.

And the winners were…

Here's a reminder of all of last night's winners:

• Young Sports Personality of the Year - Luke Littler
• Lifetime Achievement - Sir Mark Cavendish
• Unsung Hero - Jean Paton
• Helen Rollason - Dr Mark Prince
• World Sport Star - Armand Duplantis
• Team of the Year - Wigan Warriors
• Coach of the Year - Jenny Meadows and Trevor Painter
• Sports Personality of the Year - Keely Hodgkinson

Next target?

So what's next on the horizon for SPOTY winner Keely Hodgkinson?

Well, the next major competition is September's World Championships in Tokyo, where she'll be looking to take the title off Mary Moraa who beat her in Budapest in 2023.

However, a certain Athing Mu might have something to say about that.

Keely might also have a crack at 800m world record, which is 1:53.28 and has stood since 1983.

Keely coaches

Coaches of the Year Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, speaking to BBC One. Painter said: "First of all it is an honour to get the microphone as Jenny normally does all the talking.

"It is hard enough standing out in Wigan as a coach, as you have Matt Peet at Wigan Warriors, you have Shaun Wane and Andy Farrell - it is great to do the best you can."

Meadows said: "I have got to say Trevor's leadership is brilliant. He really involves that culture and fun. It is hard work on a daily basis.

"Trevor and I have walked this walk before. From 19 being in the public eye and then a lot of firsts, like moving into her own house. We have seen her navigate those three years brilliantly."

That winning feeling

Roooooooot

Congratulations to England cricketer Joe Root on his third-placed finish.

He's the 14th cricketer to finish in the top three of BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Stuart Broad came second in 2023, while Ben Stokes also finished runner-up in 2022 and actually won the top prize back in 2019.

In his presentation video, England captain Stokes had some nice things to say about him.

He said of Root growing up: "He was half the size of everyone else, but was just better than everyone else.

"Joe Root is incomparable to anybody else in any other sport in my opinion. He's not settling for what he's achieved."

James Anderson added: "He was a bit cheeky. Everyone saw what a talent he was.

"In the last few years he's gone back to being the Joe that we knew before. I can't think of a better role model for the game of cricket. I've got children and I'd love them to grow up and be that sort of person."

"We are such a strong nation"

It was all a bit of a rush towards the end of the show there, awards being dished out here, there and everywhere.

But here's what SPOTY's Lifetime Achievement award winner Mark Cavendish had to say.

All off the cuff having "not prepared anything."

He said: "That was an amazing reception. I don't really know, I knew I was getting it, but I don't know what to say. I am not very good at public speaking and that's why I rode a bike for a living.

"I have always been a sports fan and sport has an incredible ability to inspire, whether you want to compete, or do it for fun, or do it as a family.

"You can do what you want with sport. I don't really watch cycling I watch everything else.

"If you look back in those years with Covid and when sport started it got everyone happy again. It is nice that we celebrate it every year with SPOTY.

"As a nation of GB we are such a strong nation in the world of sport. I know having represented the country and when you pull on the union flag it is a massive honour."

"I have changed it"

Certainly not lacking for confidence is our Luke Littler.

After collecting his Young Personality of the Year award, Littler said: "It goes to show how well I've done this year. Knowing for myself that I've changed the sport of darts - as have all the other professionals - but I have played a big part in it."

Asked how it felt to have inspired so many people, he added: "I know the amount of academies that have been brought up in different locations, tickets selling out with the Ally Pally in hours and the Premier league selling out - it just shows how much I have changed it."

Dominant

Well, Athletics reigns supreme at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards again.

Athletes have won 19 SPOTY's since it began 71 years ago in 1954. That's 26.76% of all the top prizes going the way of Athletics.

Athletics also accounts for 14 second places and 21 third places, giving them a total of 54 placings - 29 more than the next closest sport!

"I'm in shock"

"I am in a bit of shock," Hodgkinson said.

"I am more excited for my coach [Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows] as I wouldn't be here without his guidance.

"This year has been incredible and I achieved everything that I set out to do on the outdoor track. I hope you love watching Paris and I wish you all a wonderful evening."