Jeff Stelling has claimed blackmailers tried to force £50,000 out of him or they would accuse him of sexual assault.
The 65-year-old was told to pay up or face a flood of abuse claims over the internet.
The revelations were made in his new book, I’ve Got Mail: The Soccer Saturday Letters, reports The Sun.
He wrote: “The first letter arrived at my home early in December 2017. This wasn’t fan mail. This was blackmail.”
The note said: “We are a highly discreet organization that supplies support, recompense and closure for victims of sexual assault or abuse.”
Stelling said: “I knew I had nothing to be concerned about. I showed it to my wife.”
(Image: ©Sky UK Limited)
The couple called police, who said other celebrities had been targeted, after a second letter arrived.
It has been a tough few weeks for the Soccer Saturday host, who admitted he had been close to resigning from his post.
Stelling was left fuming after Sky Sports sacked pundits Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier.
But the trio all urged him to not do anything stupid.
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“It’s been a difficult few weeks because it would be like I’ve lost the entire midfield just before the start of the season,” Stelling said.
“They have become my best friends. Tommo rang me first on a Tuesday morning a couple of weeks ago.
“He said the head of football had asked for a meeting at lunchtime and a meeting with Charlie an hour later.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Just before midday my phone rang and it was Tiss. I said: ‘Hello Tiss, how’re you doing?’ He said: ‘I was doing OK until I was sacked.’
“That was a real shock. Matt is much younger than the other guys and I was very taken aback.
“But, as soon as Matt told me he’d been sacked, I knew what was coming.
“It hit Matt the hardest because that was out of the blue. He’s 51 and a legendary figure.
“If you go down the south coast, Le God is his nickname. Well, not if you go to Portsmouth.
“They have a different nickname for him there. Matt has a nice wit about him. He is very well researched and took delight in having better stats than me.”
