The BBC has come under fire for choosing not to build a studio at the 2026 World Cup, and Mark Chapman was asked to address the ‘elephant in the room’ on Saturday
Mark Chapman joked the BBC were ‘based in Houston’ after he was urged to address the ‘elephant in the room’. Chapman was in the presenter’s chair for the Beeb’s live coverage of the Netherlands’ clash against Sweden on Saturday evening.
And after welcoming viewers to the start of the show and introducing a nostalgia piece about the Cruyff turn, Chapman turned his attention to introducing the pundits in the studio. But after introducing Micah Richards, Thomas Frank and Ellen White, Richards quickly jumped in and asked Chapman: “Lets address the elephant in the room first.”
To which a surprised Chapman replied: “There is no elephant in the room,” with Richards quickly saying: “The shirt! It is a bit fancy for you, Chappers.”
The 52-year-old was wearing a rather wild red and black shirt, and after compliments from Frank and White, Richards said: “Are you going to Miami? Are you going to New York? I know you are going over there for radio, but you are not over yet.”
Chapman quickly 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?”
The BBC have come in for criticism as their studio for their World Cup coverage is located in Salford rather than America. While ITV’s studio portrays a glamorous view of the Brooklyn Bridge.
And MLS side Houston Dynamo couldn’t resist taking a jab at the BBC after spotting an error during a live broadcast earlier this week. During Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday, June 17, Chapman was joined by Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud and Gael Clichy, with a screen behind the team displaying a picturesque Houston skyline – in line with the fact that the match took place at the Houston Stadium.
However, eagle-eyed viewers were quick to point out that the image on screen had been manipulated to include scenic mountain views – given the World Cup host city, which is 105 feet above sea level, doesn’t boast them. And the MLS club took to social media to share a manipulated photo of their Shell Energy Stadium overlooked by a snowy mountain range. They wrote alongside the upload: “You just can’t beat this view.”
Former BBC mainstay Gary Lineker jokingly remarked that his former colleagues were set up in ‘a green box in Salford’. And the ‘elephant in the room’ Richards mentioned at the start of Saturday’s broadcast could also extend to the former England international joining ITV’s coverage of the tournament.
Lineker has been lined up as a guest for the group stage clash between Germany and Ivory Coast on Saturday night. The former Everton and Tottenham Hotspur man had been due to present coverage of the tournament for the BBC, but his contract with the broadcaster ended following the 2024-25 season after a dispute over social media posts.
While Lineker has stepped back from traditional media, he remains one of the most prominent figures in sports broadcasting and has been hosting his The Rest is Football podcast from New York. Lineker and co-hosts Alan Shearer and Richards have been presenting a daily version of the show after signing a big-money deal with Netflix.
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