During his radio career, he has presented coverage of many major sporting events including the Olympic Games, Wimbledon, the Grand National and the FIFA World Cup.

Inverdale worked on British Satellite Broadcasting's Sports Channel and then for Sky Sports during the channel's early years, most notably as presenter of Goals On Sunday and on their coverage of Serie A Italian football, where Alan Hansen regularly appeared alongside him as studio pundit.

He became the BBC's main Rugby Union anchor in the 2006 Six Nations Championships following the departure of Steve Rider to ITV Sport.

"[15] Inverdale's words prompted criticism on Twitter and other social media, with some alleging they had complained of his "sexist and patronising" view of women's tennis in the past.

"[16] BBC Director of News James Harding was asked at a Women in Journalism event the following week whether Inverdale ought to be sacked.

[21] Culture Secretary Maria Miller wrote to BBC director general Lord Hall, expressing concern and asking about "any further action that is likely to be taken".

[15] In his reply, Hall wrote, "I agree that the comments made by John during the build-up to the women's final were totally unacceptable and fell well beneath the standards we expect of our presenters."

[15] Racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks defended Inverdale as a "brilliant broadcaster" who "must not be hounded out of the BBC by Maria Miller".

"[22] In a joint interview with Bartoli the following year, as promotion for ITV Sport's 2014 French Open coverage, Inverdale said he believed Miller's intervention, ten days after the original incident, was likely politically motivated and part of an anti-BBC agenda.

"[17] Inverdale received "intense criticism" while presenting the BBC's coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Redgrave was observed directing jibes toward Inverdale, shaking a wet umbrella over his head and even walking off the set.

Inverdale's comment was criticised as sexist and also brought the 2013 Marion Bartoli controversy back to the fore on social media.

[25] Following the incident, Telegraph journalist Rob Bagchi wrote a piece titled "Why does everyone hate John Inverdale?

[26] Inverdale experienced further censure when he was accused of "ignoring" British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua during an interview.

[27] Some defended Inverdale, saying he was attempting to catch the eye of French boxer Sarah Ourahmoune, whom they had been speaking of; she eventually joined them to talk.

[28] On the final day of the Olympics coverage, Inverdale was criticised again during a boxing broadcast when he interrupted Joshua to speak about the victorious French boxer Tony Yoka and claimed that Yoka and his partner might have become the first engaged or married couple to both win gold medals at the same Olympics, in spite of British cyclists Laura Trott and her fiancé Jason Kenny both having won golds just days earlier, and married couple Kate Richardson-Walsh and Helen Richardson-Walsh having both won gold medals in the women's hockey just two days prior.

Davies felt it was "clear" what Inverdale meant during the Murray and Yoka incidents and was doing "what all broadcast interviewers do" during the Joshua episode by looking for future interviewees.

[30] During a 2014 BBC One broadcast, Inverdale said that England – rather than Great Britain – would play the United States of America in that year's Davis Cup; he apologised later in the programme.

[33] At the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, Inverdale commented that tennis player Nick Kyrgios "lumbered off like a character from The Jungle Book", which led to allegations of racism on social media.

[36] He made national news in 2005 when his face appeared in many newspapers showing the scars he received whilst playing rugby union for Esher.