Thierry Henry was left visibly stunned after a fellow pundit dropped an X-rated bomb live on television during Fox Sports' World Cup coverage. The former Arsenal star, alongside presenter Rebecca Lowe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was caught off guard by Alexi Lalas' brazen outburst.
Lalas' Controversial Comment
In the buildup to Friday's World Cup fixtures, Lalas joined Henry, Lowe, and Ibrahimovic at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. When the broadcast cut to a promotional video for James Corden's 'After Hours' show, Lowe asked for opinions. Lalas immediately fired back: 'Yeah, what do you guys call him? A full kit w*****, right? Or whatever it means.'
The comment referred to Corden wearing a full Team USA training kit in advertisements. Henry and Lowe were visibly taken aback, with Ibrahimovic muttering 'Woah.' Sensing trouble, Lalas tried to defend himself, but Henry asked, 'Did he just say that?'
Lowe's Intervention
Lowe attempted to defuse the situation, remarking, 'Ok. Lucky we're on American television because the 'W' word on British TV, uh-uh. You've still got to visit James though, right? You've gotta go visit James Corden.'
Social Media Reaction
Viewers quickly ridiculed Lalas' blunder on social media. One X user wrote, 'His reactions looks like the thumbnail on a YouTube slop AI video.' Another added, 'His co-hosts did nothing to cover it up and just totally threw him under the bus too.' A third commented, 'The reaction from everyone else is going to go *triple platinum* on here.'
However, some defended Lalas, arguing that Americans do not attach the same connotations to the word. 'W***** is not used here in the states. No American watching TV would be offended by it,' one person remarked. Another queried, 'Wait you can't say w***** in the UK?'
James Corden's Show
Lalas' comments drew unwanted attention to the 'FIFA World Cup on Fox After Hours With James Corden,' which airs in the US at midnight. Speaking at the Fox upfront presentation, Corden said, 'It's going to be me, former England soccer captain Rio Ferdinand, and one of my favourite comedians on planet Earth, Ian Karmel. Every night after the games, we're going to be trying to have a lighthearted look at the World Cup, talking about the games, talking about anything that may have happened that day.'
