Broadcasters hiring Boris Becker as a pundit have been warned that his fees must be paid directly to the accountants handling his multi-million-pound bankruptcy.
The former tennis star, 49, contributes to the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage and also works for Eurosport. His lawyers have denied claims that he owes up to £54 million.
Insolvency practitioners at City firm Smith & Williamson have written to companies that employ Becker to demand all future fees are used for the benefit of creditors.
Mark Ford, lead joint trustee of Becker’s estate, said: “We can confirm that a communication was sent to a number of organisations internationally who may have contracted with Boris Becker. They have been advised that Mr Becker’s assets, including any amounts owed to him, vested in us as trustees of the bankruptcy estate.”
Becker, who won Wimbledon three times and lives in the area with wife Lilly, 40, and son Amadeus, seven, has worked for a range of broadcasters since he retired from tennis in 1999. Eurosport recently extended Becker’s contract by a year until the end of 2018. It was reported this week that he was in talks to join ITV show “I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here” for an estimated fee of £500,000.
In June he was declared bankrupt at a London court over £3.3 million of debts, although these have been described as only “the tip of the iceberg”. But his lawyers insist his liabilities are “significantly lower” than the £54 million reported in the German media.
Eurosport refused to comment on contractual details. No one at the BBC was available for comment.
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