TalkSPORT radio presenter Alan Brazil has laughed off suggestions that he missed his breakfast show on Friday because he was absent all day during drinks at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brazil told MailOnline several reasons for his absence after fans filled social media with drink-related theories about his no-show.
The excuses he gave included being too tired after a long week, having a bad knee, a bad chest and having contracted an illness from meeting so many people that left him exhausted.
In mitigation, he added that he had already worked an extra shift this week.
The hugely popular presenter appeared keen to debunk rumors that he took the day off with a hangover after drinking too much at the festival, which was dubbed St Patrick’s Thursday by organisers.
Alan Brazil was pictured at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday after the talkSPORT presenter reportedly ‘disappeared’
He even denied that drink was the cause of his absence no fewer than five times.
But he then admitted: ‘I just had a few pints of Guinness yesterday in great company. I’m fine’.
He added that it was ‘not bad publicity’ for the show and that he did not feel it necessary to apologize to TalkSPORT bosses.
He also seemed to hint that his wife first heard about his absence from the breakfast show when she tuned in this morning and he wasn’t there.
In a long-winded explanation, Brazil said: ‘There was no massive drink bender involved. I was just tired after arriving here on Sunday.
‘It’s been a long week. My knee also hurts after a lot of walking. There is a lot of talk about the needs here and there are so many people to cater to.”
He continued, “I also have a bad chest and it’s just now coming out and I’m just feeling ‘argh.’
‘It’s not Covid or anything. I meet so many people in this job, especially here in Cheltenham. So I just got a bug, that’s all, and it just makes you tired, which is a long week.
Brazil surprised talkSPORT listeners by not turning up for his talkSPORT breakfast show – but he was spotted in a bar in Cheltenham yesterday!
“So the bottom line is I’m doing well, I’m really good. Stories that I drank too much yesterday are just a bunch of nonsense, a lot of nonsense, a lot of nonsense. It has nothing to do with booze. I just had a few pints of Guinness yesterday in great company. I’m doing well, other than this limp.
‘After this I’m going home to Suffolk, and on Sunday I’m going to the French Alps for a week.’
He added: ‘All this drinking too much is nonsense. That’s what I mean, it’s nonsense. I’ve just been normal.
“I heard the show this morning,” he started to say, then corrected himself and said, “My wife was listening and she told me all about it.”
“They were fine on the show this morning. Shebahn (Aherne) is good. She got her big chance (taking over) so that worked out well. So respect. I love all that.
‘It’s not bad publicity. I missed a day and it’s my fault. I don’t have to apologize to the bosses. I’m not saying I’m too big for that (sorry). I’m not too big to say sorry to the bosses.
‘This week I worked Monday and Tuesday. And I normally don’t do that. So I have already deployed an extra service. So everything is going well.’
Earlier today it was reported that Brazil amused talkSPORT listeners by not showing up for his Cheltenham Festical build-up this morning – a day after he was spotted at a bar in Prestbury Park.
Trainer Dylan Cunha shared a photo in the afternoon with Brazil, right, and Parlor, center left
Fans speculated on social media that Brazil’s absence was a planned PR stunt
Brazil was ostensibly intended to guide listeners through all the conversations leading up to the festival’s final day of action.
But Chris Evans was forced to step in and initially fill the silence after Brazil were nowhere to be seen, while Shebahn Aherne later took control of the airwaves.
Ray Parlor and Dean Saunders were also present at Aherne to cover the truant chat box. They joked that he was still in bed.
Jamie O’Hara, the former Tottenham player who works on talkSPORT’s Sports Bar show, joked that it was a ‘mess from the big man’.
“Waking up to a no show from Alan Brazil is exactly the start to the day I needed, I’ll see if I can find him in Cheltenham later today, mess of the big man,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter .
Parlor claimed that Brazil texted him at 4:30 a.m. telling him to sleep in.
Evans had been preparing to take the microphone for his regular breakfast show on Virgin Radio but was snapped up by talkSPORT bosses to fill in at the start of the show.
Brazil normally presents its breakfast show from 6am, but was nowhere to be seen on Friday morning
He said, ‘Did he make it? Um, no is the answer, at least not so far.
‘I’m really sorry about this huge talkSPORT, but it’s Chris Evans here from Virgin Radio.
“So if you’ve seen Alan Brazil in the last 24 hours, where did you see him, where was the sighting and what time was it too?
‘If you don’t know what you are looking for: Alan Brazil is robust in nature and robust in character.
“Also missing this morning, we’ve got Ray ‘Party’ Parlor, he’s nowhere to be found, we haven’t seen Dean ‘Deano’ Saunders in a while, Ally ‘Goldenballs’ McCoist, no, he’s nowhere to be seen either.
“So if you see any of these characters, we need to know where they are because they need to be back here on the show.”
As he took on his broadcasting duties this week, Brazil also enjoyed the celebrations at Cheltenham.
Raceday TV presenter Emma Jones found it in Cheltenham on Thursday after a two-day search – and where else could it have been than in Guinness Village?
‘We found him. “I’ve been looking for you,” she said.
‘Real? It’s my lucky day!’
Jones laughed and continued: “This is my first time at Cheltenham, I asked everyone what to do and they said find Alan Brazil.
Sports Bar presenter Jamie O’Hara joked it was a ‘big man’s mess’ and vowed to track him down at Cheltenham
‘It’s been my mission for two days. Mission accomplished!’
Perhaps his absence from the show this morning will spark a new search.
One user on
Another user posted a photo with Brazil apparently in Cheltenham, although it is not clear from when.