Mark Chapman was forced to address the 'elephant in the room' during the BBC's World Cup coverage on Saturday evening, after the broadcaster faced criticism for not building a studio in the United States for the tournament.
Chapman Jokes About Houston Location
At the start of the BBC's live coverage of the Netherlands vs Sweden match, Chapman introduced pundits Micah Richards, Thomas Frank, and Ellen White. Richards immediately interjected, saying: 'Let's address the elephant in the room first.' A surprised Chapman replied: 'There is no elephant in the room,' to which Richards pointed out Chapman's bold red and black shirt, joking: 'The shirt! It is a bit fancy for you, Chappers.'
Richards then asked if Chapman was headed to Miami or New York, referencing his upcoming radio work in the US. Chapman responded: 'It is a lovely Saturday afternoon here. Where are we? Houston and I thought I would just keep the vibe. Can I talk about football now?'
BBC Studio in Salford Draws Criticism
The BBC has faced backlash for basing its World Cup studio in Salford, England, rather than in the US, unlike ITV, whose studio features a glamorous view of the Brooklyn Bridge. The issue was compounded earlier in the week when an error during Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo on June 17 showed a manipulated Houston skyline with mountain views—despite Houston being 105 feet above sea level with no such mountains.
MLS side Houston Dynamo poked fun at the BBC on social media, sharing a doctored image of their Shell Energy Stadium with a snowy mountain backdrop and captioning it: 'You just can't beat this view.'
Lineker's Absence and ITV Move
Former BBC mainstay Gary Lineker jokingly remarked that his former colleagues were set up in 'a green box in Salford.' Lineker, who was due to present the BBC's World Cup coverage, left the broadcaster after his contract ended following the 2024-25 season amid a dispute over social media posts. He has since joined ITV as a guest for the Germany vs Ivory Coast group stage match on Saturday night and hosts 'The Rest is Football' podcast from New York with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, after signing a deal with Netflix.
