BBC drops the ball with revamped Wimbledon 2Day coverage
The BBC’s Wimbledon coverage has been blasted by viewers as a ‘mess’ following the replacement of long-standing host John Inverdale with Clare Balding.
Inverdale was axed as a presenter after 14 years as the face of the broadcasters Wimbledon coverage after criticising the appearance of tennis star Marion Bartoli live on-air, which this year saw him relegated to the commentary box.
Viewers have been left unimpressed by the changes however, describing the new chatty format as ‘awkward’ and calling for a return to more concise analysis and courtside action.
The BBC has refused to divulge how many complaints it has received from viewers in relation to the new format but admitted it had received 78 within a matter of hours of the first broadcast, sparking speculation that the changes may be short lived.
A BBC spokeswoman said: “The focus of the highlights show remains the tennis which forms the vast part of the programme along with analysis from expert pundits. This is a new look for the show this year which we would expect to evolve as the fortnight progresses.”
A Twitter campaign calling for Inverdale to be reinstated has now attracted thousands of supporters.