ITV has been hit with 443 Ofcom complaints over Gabriel Clarke's post-match interviews during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Norway v England match. The complaints were lodged regarding the broadcast on 11th July, with viewers objecting to Clarke's line of questioning with manager Thomas Tuchel and player Jude Bellingham.
Complaints and Reaction
According to television watchdog Ofcom, the majority of complainants objected to Gabriel Clarke's line of questioning in post-match interviews with Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham. Ofcom confirmed to Express: "The majority of complainants objected to Gabriel Clarke's line of questioning in post-match interviews with Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham."
The wave of complaints came in the wake of Gabriel's post-match interviews, during which he told Thomas Tuchel that the England squad might have a "mentality problem". Speaking immediately after the final whistle, Thomas said, "I'm not happy with the performance. We made life very, very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic, we're in the last four, it's amazing, but we're not happy with the performance. The commitment is there, but we made life very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."
Clarke's Questioning
Gabriel then asked the manager whether it was a "mentality problem", which did not go down well with the manager, who quipped, "How can you ask about mentality now? This is pure mentality, you can bottle it up and sell it. It's the quality of our games. That's it. It has nothing to do with mentality." The sports correspondent then turned to Jude Bellingham, informing the star that Thomas Tuchel was "not very happy" with the display.
ITV viewers felt Gabriel was stoking division and tension within the Three Lions. Despite Piers Morgan stepping in to defend the pundit, football fans were outraged, with many accusing the pundit of attempting to stir division and tension.
Fan Outrage
One fan on X wrote ahead of tonight's semi-final: "If England go out tonight, I'm blaming Gabriel Clarke and @ITV. Trying to create cracks where no cracks existed. Dreadful stuff." Yet another added: "It's mad. No England fan is confident, and the English media constantly trashes the team. Look at the Gabriel Clarke interview post Norway ffs." "Remove Gabriel Clarke from ITV's World Cup Coverage," another fumed, to which another replied, "Yes, get rid," reports the Mirror.
The Daily Express has reached out to ITV for comment. England will take on Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals tonight. The semi-final will kick off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday, July 15. Atlanta Stadium is the chosen location for this exciting match.
