ITV viewers expressed their fury just minutes after the broadcaster kicked off its coverage of the World Cup on Saturday (June 27) night. Mark Pougatch was joined by Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright ahead of England's clash with Panama. Also in the studio, based in Brooklyn, New York, was presenter Laura Woods. Not long after the programme kicked off, Laura was joined by TV presenters Ant and Dec, who shared their thoughts on the tournament so far and their hopes for England winning it.
Viewers Take to Social Media
However, the duo’s appearance on the show drew criticism from some viewers, many of whom took to X to share their complaints. One wrote: "First time in 11 world cups that I've preferred ITV over BBC and they've gone and wheeled out Ant and Dec to spoil it for me." Another posted: "Watching ITV coverage before the England game. Feel like I'm intruding on a personal conversation between Laura woods and Ant & Dec. Maybe they could have this off air and show more about the games or scrap this needless nonsense with so called celebrities altogether."
Reaction Highlights
The backlash came despite ITV's typically strong World Cup coverage. The inclusion of Ant and Dec, known for presenting shows like "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" and "Britain's Got Talent," was seen by many as an unnecessary distraction from football analysis. Some viewers even claimed they "switched off" shortly after the segment began. This is a breaking live TV story, and the Showbiz Express.co.uk team will be updating this story with the latest information as soon as we receive it.
