BBC World Cup presenters are in a green screen studio, not on site.
The 2026 World Cup was the biggest we have ever seen, with a ridiculous 48 teams competing in a frankly absurd 104 matches. To cover all this, broadcasters clearly required extensive staff, both on air and off. It provided an opportunity for female on-screen talent to come to the fore at the BBC and ITV. Almost every game involved women hosts, commentators, co-commentators or pundits.
Before we get overexcited and declare that we have arrived in a glorious era of broadcasting sexual equality, let’s break down the numbers. By my calculations, 10 of the 35 who appeared on the BBC, and seven of the 27 on ITV, were women. That is over a quarter in total. Not bad, but definitely not equal.
As it happens, I don’t think this is a problem.
Read the full piece in the British Journalism Review. I also wrote about the need for strong regional press in the same edition.
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