ITV trumps BBC with Euros final coverage after Gareth Southgate interview blunder
Gary Lineker called it “a victory for attacking football”, both a fair assessment and another well-aimed stiletto into the ribs of Gareth Southgate. Sorry to say, we are all deeply experienced veterans of England TV inquests by now but where once the BBC approach was the supportive murmurings of the undertaker, here there was measured but unequivocal condemnation of the manager from Lineker and company. The ITV debrief was perhaps a little more generous.
The majority of viewers will have been watching with Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Juan Mata and Micah Richards on the BBC and that will always be the case in a straight duel. But the gap must be narrowing. A decade or two ago, there was no contest between BBC and ITV for these finals but that is no longer the case and in terms of personnel, Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Mark Pougatch have the measure of the Beeb. Probably the pithiest summary of the night came from Neville on Southgate’s explanation for the defeat: “He said we didn’t keep the ball well enough, and that is the title of the England book.” Contrast Ferdinand’s flabbier effort: “With the talent we have, the negative approach falls on the manager’s toes.”
ITV commentator Sam Matterface is definitely getting better but the suspicion remains that he is scripting some of his comments for the biggest moments. Final whistle: “How many times is your heart gonna break? Sometimes a picture can say more than a thousand words and the look on Gareth Southgate says it all. Fifty eight years of hurt never stops you dreaming but you do have to wonder if those dreams are ever going to come true.” Maybe it’s just his delivery but it never seems totally pukka. Opposite number Guy Mowbray, as ever, was unobtrusive. Alan Shearer went big on emotions in his co-commentary; ITV had Lee Dixon and Ally McCoist and shaded it on this front.
The punditry, hosts and co-commentators might be as good or better on ITV now, but the BBC still has a big edge in the scene-setting and packaging. It was montages and national treasures versus political heavyweights in the build-up. ITV snagged an interview with Keir Starmer, Neville his interlocutor, and Red Nev seemed to enjoy himself, although he could not get Sir Keir to commit to a bank holiday if England won. Well, it doesn’t matter now. Obviously nabbing The Actual Prime Minister for a live chat is a great get, although you do wonder if it was a turn-off for folk not of Starmer’s political persuasion, whatever that actually is.
Over on the BBC, it was pre-match montage central, and it was quality. The Eddie Buttler slot was scripted by James Graham, writer of Dear England, and narrated by Joseph Fiennes, about what England (football team and nation) means. Terrific stuff and as stirring as any entry in this rich cannon. Sympathies with Graham, who must have been planning to buy a mid-sized tropical island with an updated third act of his Southgate stage play had it all come right on the night. There was a less effective collection of attaboys from not very zeitgeisty names like Sir Lenny Henry, Mel C out of the Spice Girls, Michael McIntyre and Grant Mitchell out of EastEnders that churned the stomach rather than quickened the pulse but I enjoyed the eccentric, TikTok-esque “Pressure is for Tyres” bit about Shearer’s quote on England penalties.
There was also a collection of messages from the players’ loved ones wishing them well – Gareth’s best man, Declan Rice’s PE teacher etc – that brought a T to the E. Fans of Disney Plus restaurant dramedy The Bear might have noticed the similar needle drop use of ‘Together’ by Nine Inch Nails for their Southgate short film. Anyway, loads of good stuff and well ahead of ITV, which had a more pedestrian “making history” thing with Michael Ward from Top Boy. They got a lengthy, muted Southgate pre-record pre-match; perhaps he didn’t fancy a sit down with his BBC tormentors.
The BBC’s half-time act was peculiar, pairing touchline reporter Kelly Somers with interviewee Alex Scott. Normally you would do an interview like this if you had access to a football legend with a connection to the fixture who could not be trusted to talk live without a handler. Say they had buttonholed Pep Guardiola or whoever for two minutes. Scott is an accomplished broadcaster but it is not clear what particular value she could add to Spain’s men vs England’s. And it was hard to top Ferdinand’s half-time verdict: “The two centre-halves for Spain have had cigars out in that first half.”
It was England’s hopes that were up in smoke at the end of course. A technical bungle meant that Southgate’s post-match interview was initially, inadvertently lost on the BBC. Somehow entirely fitting for a night both crushingly familiar and upsetting in various new and unforeseen ways as well. Lineker’s sign-off was “England pain again as Spain reign”. Like the team, a game effort but not quite clicking. The best team won on the pitch and, on the telly, I’d give this overall to ITV.