TalkSPORT radio presenter Alan Brazil has laughed off suggestions he missed his breakfast show on Friday because he went AWOL during an all-day drinking spree at the Cheltenham Festival.
Brazil told MailOnline several reasons for his absence after fans filled social media with drink-related theories about his absence.
The excuses he gave included being too tired after a long week, having a bad knee, having a bad chest, and having caught a virus from meeting so many people that it wore him down.
To mitigate, he added that he had already worked an extra shift this week anyway.
The popular presenter seemed keen to deny rumors that he had taken the day off with a hangover after drinking too much at the festival, dubbed St Patrick’s Thursday by organisers.
Alan Brazil was pictured at the Cheltenham Festival on Friday after the talkSPORT presenter allegedly “went AWOL”.
In fact, he denied that drinking was the cause of his absence no less than five times.
But then he admitted: “I had a few pints of Guinness in some great company yesterday. I’m fine”.
He added that it was “not bad publicity” for the program and that he did not consider it necessary to apologize to TalkSPORT bosses.
He also seemed to hint that his wife first found out about his absence from the breakfast show when she tuned in this morning and he wasn’t on it.
In a lengthy explanation, Brazil said: “There was no massive drinking. I was just tired after coming here on Sunday.
“It’s been a long week. Also, my knee hurts after walking a lot. Here there is a lot of work on the needs that are met with so many people to care for.”
She continued: “I also have a poor chest and it’s only now coming out and I feel just ‘argh’.
Brazil surprised talkSPORT listeners by not turning up for their talkSPORT breakfast show – but he was spotted in a bar in Cheltenham yesterday!
Coach Dylan Cunha shared a photo with Brazil, right, and Parlor, center left, in the afternoon.
“It’s not Covid or anything like that. I know a lot of people in this job, especially here in Cheltenham. So I have a mistake, that’s all, and it wears you out during this long week.
“The bottom line is that I’m fine, really fine. The stories about how I drank too much yesterday are just a lot of nonsense, a lot of nonsense, a lot of nonsense. It has nothing to do with alcohol. Yesterday I had a few pints of Guinness with some great company. I’m fine, apart from this limp.
“After this I’m going home to Suffolk and then going to the French Alps on Sunday for a week.”
He added: “All this drinking too much is a load of nonsense. I’m serious, it’s nonsense. I’ve just been normal.
“I listened to the show this morning,” he began, then corrected himself and said, “My wife was listening and told me everything.”
“They were good on the show this morning. Shebahn (Aherne) is good. He had the big opportunity for him (to take over), so he was fine. So respect. I love all this.
“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 (apologizing). I’m not too big to apologize to bosses.
Fans speculated on social media that Brazil’s absence had been a planned public relations stunt.
“I worked Monday and Tuesday this week. And I usually don’t do that. So I already put in an extra shift. So I’m fine.”
Earlier in the day, it was reported that Brazil amused talkSPORT listeners by failing to show up for their Cheltenham Festical prep this morning, a day after being spotted in a bar in Prestbury Park.
Brazil was supposed to guide listeners through all the talk before the festival’s final day of action.
But Chris Evans was forced to step in and initially fill the silence after Brazil was nowhere to be found, and Shebahn Aherne later controlled the airwaves.
Ray Parlor and Dean Saunders were also present with Aherne to cover the absent chatter. They joked that he was still in bed.
Jamie O’Hara, the former Tottenham player who works on talkSPORT’s Sports Bar programme, joked that it was a “big man disaster”.
“Waking up to Alan Brazil missing is exactly the start to the day I needed, I’ll see if I can find him at Cheltenham later today, a disaster from the great man,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Brazil usually hosts its morning show starting at 6 a.m., but was nowhere to be seen on Friday morning.
Parlor claimed that Brazil sent him a text message at 4:30 a.m. telling him he needed to rest.
Evans had been preparing to take the microphone for his regular breakfast show on Virgin Radio, but was picked up by talkSPORT bosses to replace him at the start of the show.
He said, ‘Well, have you made it? Ermm, not the answer, at least not so far.
“I’m so sorry for this massive talkSPORT, but this is Chris Evans from Virgin Radio.
‘So if you have seen Alan Brazil in the last 24 hours, where have you seen him, where was the sighting, what time was it too?
‘If you don’t know what you’re looking for, Alan Brazil is rugged by nature and rugged by character.
“Also missing from action this morning, we have Ray ‘Party’ Parlour, he’s nowhere to be seen, we haven’t seen Dean ‘Deano’ Saunders for a while, Ally ‘Goldenballs’ McCoist, no he’s nowhere to be seen.” 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.”
While carrying out his broadcasting duties this week, Brazil was also enjoying the revelry at Cheltenham.
Raceday TV presenter Emma Jones found him in Cheltenham on Thursday after a two-day search. And where else would he have been besides Guinness Village?
‘We have found it. “I’ve been looking for you,” she said.
‘Actually? It is my lucky day!’
Jones laughed and continued: “This is my first time at Cheltenham, I asked everyone what I had to do and they told me to find Alan Brazil.”
Sports Bar presenter Jamie O’Hara joked that he was a “big man disaster” and vowed to hunt him down at Cheltenham.
‘It has been my mission for two days. Mission accomplished!’
Perhaps his absence from the show this morning will spark another search.
One X user joked: “Death, taxes and Alan Brazil no-show on talkSPORT Gold Cup day.”
Another user posted a photo with Brazil apparently in Cheltenham, although it is not clear when.