Gabby Logan was left astonished during a recent episode of The Sports Agents podcast when her co-host, fellow BBC broadcaster Mark Chapman, revealed he would not be part of the BBC's World Cup 2026 final coverage. Logan, who will anchor the final, becoming the first woman to do so, had assumed Chapman would be involved.
Logan Unaware of Chapman's Scheduling Conflict
During the podcast, which the duo has co-hosted since 2024, Logan asked Chapman about his plans for the final, following England's emphatic 4-2 victory over Croatia. She enquired: "Are you already kind of working out where you're going to watch the World Cup final? Because you're working on it, aren't you?"
Chapman replied: "No, I'm not. No, I'm not," which took his co-host off guard. She then questioned: "Are you doing radio?" To which Chapman revealed: "No, I'll be at the golf."
Logan said "Oh, God," before Chapman continued: "I'm doing The Open golf that weekend, and then I will drive back from The Open golf listening to Kelly and the build-up on the radio and then I'll catch some of you on the telly."
Chapman's Commitment to The Open
While the BBC lost the rights to broadcast The Open on television in 2016, Radio 5 Live still retains the rights to full, ball-by-ball radio coverage. Chapman, who remains the principal host of 5 Live Sport on radio, will head to Southport next month to lead the BBC's radio coverage of the prestigious major championship. The Open was first aired on the BBC in 1955 and found a home on its television channels for 60 unbroken years before Sky Sports took over a decade ago.
Logan added: "You're going to be at the golf? My gosh. That could be an extraordinary day, couldn't it? I think they might change their tee-off times if England are in a World Cup final."
Chapman replied: "They could bring it forward a bit. Normally, it finishes between 6pm and 7pm. I would imagine if England or Scotland are in the final, they may want it to finish between 5pm and 6pm."
Logan to Anchor Final Solo
Logan will be flying solo when the final arrives, with colleague Kelly Cates in the United States providing live stadium coverage for radio, while Chapman is committed to The Open at Royal Birkdale. Both Logan and Chapman are titans of British sports broadcasting with more than 60 years of television experience between them. When Gary Lineker departed as host of the BBC flagship Match of the Day last year, the duo, alongside Kelly Cates, were appointed as his replacements. At the World Cup, the three have been rotating presenting duties for the BBC's coverage from their Salford headquarters.
Logan's reaction highlighted the surprise scheduling clash, but she and Chapman continued their discussion about the potential for England to reach the final, with Chapman noting that tee-off times could be adjusted to accommodate the match.
