ITV's World Cup team was compelled to vacate their luxurious outdoor New York studio while live on air as they contended with the elements. Laura Woods was presenting the Switzerland versus Bosnia and Herzegovina match on Thursday alongside former Spain midfielder Juan Mata, ex-Lioness Karen Carney, and Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira. However, it quickly became apparent that the winds in Brooklyn, where ITV's upscale outdoor studio has been established for the coming weeks, were overwhelming for the on-screen personnel.
Struggling Against the Wind
The presenters' hair and clothing were tossed about, forcing Woods and her colleagues to seek refuge indoors. Other guests such as Bradley Wright-Phillips, Ange Postecoglou, and Emma Hayes were also part of the lineup. Clattering sounds could be heard in the background, prompting the pundits to cover the Canada versus Qatar match from the comfort of their indoor backup studio.
Woods commented: “We have relocated downstairs and inside to get away from the wind. Just to give you an idea of just how windy it was, and in case you didn’t see us getting knocked about all over the place, day one of the US Open was also suspended, and they’re not far from us. So, listen, ultimately, very windy. But inside here it’s absolutely great.”
ITV's Luxury Studio Contrasts with BBC's Setup
Considerable attention has been drawn to ITV's lavish studio for the tournament, which stands in stark contrast to the Salford-based studio utilized by the BBC. Viewers got their first look at ITV's World Cup base during the broadcast of England's warm-up match against Costa Rica. “Welcome to our New York loft apartment, home for six weeks of coverage of the World Cup,” presenter Mark Pougatch said during that initial broadcast. “We hope you will love this view as much as we do, a view of the buildings of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge. You are thinking it must be AI; I promise you it is real.”
Roy Keane and Ian Wright were both impressed. “Amazing, fantastic,” Keane said. “It's amazing, unbelievable set. It's the World Cup, it should be this, it should be grand, massive,” Wright added.
Previous Weather Issues
This is not the first time weather has caused problems. During the very first night of the tournament, viewers noticed presenters and pundits struggling to hear each other. Some discussions even turned into shouting matches as conditions worsened. One viewer posted on social media: “Why don't ITV just change their studio to indoors lol. It looks so stupid with them constantly blowing.”
