BBC Breakfast viewers voiced their displeasure on Monday (July 6) as the programme devoted significant airtime to England's 3-2 World Cup victory over Mexico. Presenters Jon Kay and Sarah Campbell led the coverage, which included clips from Mexico City, a primary school segment, and footage of the presenters themselves celebrating at a pub before work.
Sarah Campbell opened the show by saying: 'They overcame hostile crowds, a red card and the effects of altitude.' Jon Kay added: 'It's been hailed as one of the team's greatest-ever performances. The exhausted players celebrated with fans until the roar of the three lions became more of a croak.' A clip of England captain Harry Kane, with a hoarse voice, followed: 'All the occasion, the team, everything against us. We found a way.'
Viewer Backlash on Social Media
However, many viewers took to social media to complain about the extensive sports coverage. One viewer wrote: 'Is there any other news apart from a bunch of big boys kicking a bag of wind. Get a grip.' Another said: 'They've been talking about this for over 10 minutes.' A third commented: 'ok I'm bored of it now.' One viewer added: 'I'm sure there's more important stuff going on around the world.'
Despite the criticism, some viewers enjoyed the coverage. One posted: 'Was a good game. Brilliant. #bbcbreakfast' The presenters also shared that they had visited a pub before work to watch the match. Jon Kay mentioned: 'We're getting through the coffee this morning, I think, like you at home, because we stayed up as well to watch the game.'
Presenters Share Personal Reactions
Footage showed Jon and Sarah celebrating after the final whistle. Jon noted that the last 11 minutes of the game seemed to drag on endlessly. Sarah confessed: 'I've never seen so much stress! My phone was pinging, telling me my heart rate was going up high!' England is set to face Norway in the quarter-finals on July 11. BBC Breakfast airs on BBC One weekdays from 6am.
