Snooker host Katie Shanahan needed plastic surgery after horror sporting injury

Katie Shanahan is a familiar face on UK sports broadcasts and the broadcaster’s sporting career ended abruptly after a scary injury

Anyone watching Channel 5 for the Players Championship snooker will notice a fresh face on the broadcast team in Katie Shanahan. However, she might already be familiar to fans of other sports.

The former athlete has been a fixture on coverage of various events, including ITV’s summer coverage of the England and Wales women’s football teams at Euro 2025. Snooker represents a new direction, and another move away from her previous life as a sportsperson in her own right.

Shanahan’s sporting journey saw her represent England at hockey and attend the University of North Carolina on a sports scholarship. It’s the same institution where Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman studied, providing the pair with an immediate connection – although the broadcaster’s own athletic career ended early as she walked away following a scary injury that could have been even worse.

“I also have this similar conversation with Alessia Russo, and Lucy Bronze I believe also went out [to the same university], and a number of the other players who have gone out,” Shanahan told Mirror Sport in 2025. “But the one with Sarina Wiegman was really nice, because then we spoke about North Carolina for, I kid you not, about five minutes.”

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Discussing her interview approach, she said: “The main thing from that is to have my hockey hat on when I talk to them and try to get the best answers. I think if you do it in a fair and considered way and see it from their point of view, ‘would it be fair if I got this question if I was an athlete?’ – I try to get the best out of them, basically, and let them shine, because that’s how I would have wanted to be treated as an athlete.”

Shanahan relished the college experience in America. Yet, it wasn’t without its scary moments – particularly a serious injury that required plastic surgery.

“I basically got a hockey ball smashed at my head, it split my head open and I had to have plastic surgery on my face because basically my facial bones moved out of place,” she told Metro. “Then I had to have spinal reconstruction for six months and I’ve never picked up a hockey stick ever again.

“The ball hit me in between my eyebrows and fractured my skull. But if it had hit my temple, I would have died on the spot. So I was very fortunate that it just so happened to hit me where it’s pretty solid.”

The Players Championship coverage on Channel 5 has also showcased legendary players including Stephen Hendry and Alan McManus. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday with the final on Sunday, though a new champion will be crowned after 2025 winner Kyren Wilson didn’t qualify.

“I’ve enjoyed watching snooker over the years,’ Shanahan added. ‘I used to cover the big tournaments most days as part of the 5 Live radio team.

“Actually that whole desk were huge snooker fans, so we’d always have it on and talk about it. I went to the Masters last month which was great, meeting the snooker family, everyone has just been so welcoming. So yes, I’ve dipped in and out over the years, but I just can’t wait to see snooker now thrive on 5 and hopefully everyone enjoys our coverage.”

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