FOX Sports pundit Alexi Lalas left his fellow hosts visibly stunned after uttering a swear word live on air during the FIFA World Cup coverage. The incident occurred ahead of Friday's round of World Cup fixtures, as Lalas joined Thierry Henry, Rebecca Lowe, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Lalas' Outburst
During the segment, the channel cut to a promotional video for James Corden's After Hours show, set to air throughout the tournament. Lowe attempted to open the discussion, asking, "Can we talk about James Corden for a moment?" Lalas wasted no time in sharing his views, firing back: "Yeah, what do you guys call him? A full kit w*****, right? Or whatever it means."
Corden had been pictured wearing a head-to-toe Team USA training kit in advertisements for his show. Lalas' outburst caught his co-hosts off guard, with both Lowe and Henry visibly surprised, while Ibrahimovic muttered, "Woah."
Reactions and Justifications
Realizing he may have overstepped, Lalas frantically attempted to justify his comments. "He's wearing that thing, he's all dressed up and ready to go," he said of Corden. Henry, still reeling, asked: "Did he just say that?" Lowe tried to defuse the moment, remarking: "Okay. Lucky we're on American television because the 'W' word on British TV, uh-uh. You've still got to visit James though, right?"
Social Media Reactions
Viewers quickly mocked Lalas' gaffe on social media. One X user wrote: "His reactions look like the thumbnail on a YouTube slop AI video." Another added: "His co-hosts did nothing to cover it up and just totally threw him under the bus too." A third commented: "The reaction from everyone else is going to go *triple platinum* on here."
Some argued that Lowe, Henry, and Ibrahimovic overreacted, noting that Americans don't attach the same meaning to the word. "W***** is not used here in the states. No American watching TV would be offended by it," one person said. Another asked: "Wait, you can't say w***** in the UK?"
Background on Corden's Show
Lalas' remarks attracted unwanted focus to the FIFA World Cup on Fox After Hours With James Corden, which airs in the US at midnight. Discussing the show, Corden said: "It's going to be me, former England soccer captain Rio Ferdinand, and one of my favorite comedians on planet Earth, Ian Karmel. Every night after the games, we're going to try to have a lighthearted look at the World Cup, talking about the games and anything that may have happened that day. We want to make it feel like if you couldn't be out with your friends in a bar, we'll be there to have some fun."
