It’s an absolute scandal of a shortlist. Who decides on these things?

No wonder there are cries of bias and sexism.

How can you possibly come up with a list of finalists that does not include the delectable Emily, or her from Sheffield with the double-barrelled first name?

Oh sorry, I thought all the kerfuffle about voting this week concerned I’m a Celebrity. Apparently we’re moaning about the ten-man – ‘man’ being the key word – selection for sports personality of the year.

I’ve never been too wrapped up in the award. There always seem to be too many agendas going on and a leaning towards sports that the BBC actually still cover.

Given that their repertoire is shrinking, that should narrow it down to the Boat Race, the Grand National-winning jockey. And Andy Murray.

Of course the happy-go-lucky Scot is in there again. And to be fair, which I don’t tend to be with him, he has had a very fruitful year.

But he still ends 2011 as he began; without a major to his name.

Even with Federer and Nadal on the wane, Murray looks no nearer to breaking his duck thanks to the invincible Djokovic.

You can see why the top female sports stars are right to feel miffed at their exclusion. Surely the case of Sarah Stevenson, who won world gold in taekwondo the same year she lost both parents to cancer, is worthy of a strong mention?

Instead we’ve got a list of predictable suspects, chiefly made up of golfers and cricketers, and one obvious winner.

It will be a travesty if Mark Cavendish, Britain’s first Tour de France green jersey wearer and current cycling world champ, does not get the nod.

Then again, Cav does his pedalling on ITV and Eurosport – and he’s just signed for Sky… So it will probably be Murray the nearly man then.