The BBC has come under fire for choosing not to build studios for the 2026 World Cup, with Mark Chapman asked on Saturday to address the ‘elephant in the room’
Mark Chapman spoke at the beginning of a BBC report on Saturday evening.
Mark Chapman joked that the BBC is “based in Houston” after being prompted to speak out about the “elephant in the room”. Chapman was in the host’s chair for the Beeb’s live broadcast of the Netherlands-Sweden game on Saturday night.
And after welcoming viewers at the beginning of the show and introducing a nostalgic piece about Cruyff’s turn, Chapman turned his attention to introducing the studio’s critics. But after introducing Micah Richards, Thomas Frank, and Ellen White, Richards quickly interjected and asked Chapman: “Let’s first address the elephant in the room.”
A surprised Chapman replied, “There’s no elephant in the room,” to which Richards quickly responded, “That shirt! That’s a bit flashy for you, Chappers.”
The 52-year-old was wearing a pretty wild red and black shirt, and after being complimented by Frank and White, Richards said, “Going to Miami? Going to New York? I know I’m going over there for radio, but I’m not done yet.”
Chapman immediately responded, “It’s a great Saturday afternoon here. Where are we? Houston and I wanted to keep the atmosphere going. Can we talk football now?”
The BBC has been criticized because its World Cup broadcast studios are based in Salford rather than in the United States. Meanwhile, an enchanting view of the Brooklyn Bridge has been painted in the ITV studios.
And MLS’ Houston Dynamo couldn’t help but take a jab at the BBC after an error was spotted during a live broadcast earlier this week. On Wednesday 17 June, Chapman joined Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud and Gael Clichy in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo, with the picturesque Houston skyline displayed on the screen behind the team, in keeping with the fact that the match was being played at Houston Stadium.
But eagle-eyed viewers were quick to point out that the images on the screen had been manipulated to include beautiful mountain views – considering the World Cup host city, which is 105 feet above sea level, doesn’t boast them. The MLS club then shared on social media a doctored photo of Shell Energy Stadium overlooking snowy mountains. They wrote next to the upload: “Nothing beats this view.”
Mark Chapman, Thomas Frank, Ellen White and Micah Richards during the BBC’s live broadcast on Saturday night
Former BBC boss Gary Lineker has jokingly said his former colleagues have been placed in a “green box in Salford”. And the “elephant in the room” mentioned by Richards at the start of Saturday’s broadcast could extend to former England players joining ITV’s coverage of the tournament.
Lineker is in the lineup for Saturday night’s group stage match between Germany and Ivory Coast. The former Everton and Tottenham Hotspur player was due to cover the tournament on the BBC, but his contract with the broadcaster ended at the end of the 2024-25 season following controversy over social media posts.
Although Lineker has distanced himself from traditional media, he remains one of the most prominent figures in sports broadcasting, hosting the podcast “The Rest is Football” from New York. Mr Lineker, co-host Alan Shearer and Mr Richards are airing daily versions of the show after signing a huge deal with Netflix.
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