BBC viewers have praised Matt Baker's live coverage of the European Gymnastics Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, with many lauding the commentary team as 'unmatched'.
Matt Baker returns to screens
Popular Countryfile star Matt Baker returned to screens in a different capacity at the weekend, fronting the BBC's live coverage of the third and penultimate day of the women's event on Saturday (August 15). The four-hour coverage was aired on BBC Two.
The event is running across two weekends this month, with the women up first before the men follow a week later. Team GB have several athletes competing, including Ruby Evans and Abi Martin, who were looking to add a European medal to their Commonwealth Games and World Championship successes. Meanwhile, the men's team includes three-time European champion Joe Fraser and eight-time European medallist Harry Hepworth.
Champions crowned
Angelina Melnikova won the vault title, while 18-year-old Helen Kevric claimed gold on the uneven bars for Germany. French superstar Elena Colas, 16, was the beam champion, while Manila Esposito rounded out the competition with the top spot on floor.
While Matt presented the coverage from a BBC studio, expert analysts and former Olympians Craig Heap and Christine Still were in the commentary box to guide viewers through the events. Matt was also joined by three-time world champion Beth Tweddle and former Commonwealth gold medallist Sam Oldham, who are the joint owners of 15 European Championship medals.
Viewers react
Introducing the coverage, Matt told viewers: "Hello and welcome to the next stage of a very busy 2026 in Artistic Gymnastics. Over this weekend and next, we'll be bringing you the European Championships live from Zagreb in Croatia - an event which stirs some special memories from years gone by."
It didn't take long for BBC viewers to share their thoughts on the coverage, with many praising the commentary and presenting team. "BBC consistently has the best commentary for gymnastics," one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter), with another simply replying: "Word." A third said: "The BBC gymnastics commentary team are just unmatched." Someone else echoed the sentiment, saying: "BBC TV from 8am to 10pm... (short gap 5.45-7.15pm): Gardening, Athletics and Gymnastics. Heaven!!"
The European Gymnastics Championships are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
