‘Why are we only seeing this?' – Fans left fuming at bungling BBC's broadcast of Wimbledon
Dan Evans took on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court in round two.
7
Dan Evans took on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court
Credit: BBC
7
The BBC cut away from the action to show an empty studio
Credit: BBC
7
Cameras then went to fans sat on Henmann Hill for more than two minutes
The Brit served to stay in the set at 5-1 down.
But after missing his first serve on the opening point, the TV cameras bizarrely cut away.
For about one minute, an angle thought to be from the BBC studio showed a chair in the foreground and a blurry image of the walkways around the All England Club.
Then for nearly two-and-a-half further minutes, live footage of tennis fans enjoying the afternoon sunshine on Henman Hill filled the screen.
READ MORE ON WIMBLEDON
ROY-AL BOX Fans can't believe who Olivia Rodrigo sat with at Wimbledon in Royal Box
The sound and commentary from Centre Court continued as Evans held for 5-2.
And it was not until the end of the changeover - three minutes and 23 seconds after cutting away from the match - that the BBC went back to the live feed from Wimbledon's main show court.
It is understood both BBC One and BBC Two were hit by the error, which was not addressed on air by the commentators.
Viewers trying to watch Evans battling against Djokovic blasted the Beeb's blunder.
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
One said: "Why are we only seeing a picture of Henman Hill rather than Centre Court?"
Another wrote: "Why are we watching everyone sat on Henman Hill instead of Evans vs Djokovic?"
John McEnroe interrupts brother Patrick on Wimbledon broadcast to make major personal announcement live on ESPN
7
Wimbledon 2025 LIVE - follow all the latest scores and updates from a thrilling fortnight at SW19
A third moaned: "Who is in charge of broadcasting the Championship, is it the latest trainee? Really poor."
A fourth complained: "I mean the coverage has been absolutely terrible. Moving court coverage around without any reason, not showing the Brits, not saying what is on iPlayer. Now we have a fantastic showing of Henman Hill with no tennis. Just give up guys."
The mistake comes two days after British tennis fans were unable to watch the start of Jack Draper's opening match of the tournament.
The BBC News was on at 6pm - just as Alexander Zverev was playing a crucial tie-break on Centre Court.
So BBC bosses opted to stick with the tie-break before switching over to Draper.
Elsewhere, the broadcasters were mocked for their hilariously big microphone given to Iga Swiatek for her radio interview.
But on a more serious note, reports this week suggest the BBC face a battle from TNT Sports and Sky Sports to retain the rights for Wimbledon beyond their current deal which runs until 2027.
7
After nearly three-and-a-half minutes, the feed eventually returned to Centre Court
7
Evans lost in straight sets to the seven-time champion
Credit: Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
15 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Wynne Evans accuses BBC's Strictly Come Dancing of being ‘fundamentally flawed' in its duty of care
WELSH opera singer Wynne Evans has accused the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing of being "fundamentally flawed in its duty of care". The tenor, 53, known for the insurance advertisements, competed in the 20th anniversary series of the hit dancing programme with professional dancer Katya Jones. Advertisement 4 Go Compare singer Wynne Evans claims BBC's Strictly is 'fundamentally flawed in its duty of care' after he was 'dropped' by the corporation Credit: PA 4 Opera singer was 'close to the edge' while battling illness and claims BBC 'twisted facts' Credit: Rex 4 He says he was told not to trust anyone in rehearsal room and BBC engaged in 'lies and cover-ups' to protect themselves Credit: Chris Eades In May, Evans announced he had been dropped by the BBC and would no longer present on BBC Radio Wales after apologising for using "inappropriate language" during the launch of the Strictly tour. The apology came after the Mail On Sunday reported in January he had aimed a sexual joke at one of the other professional dancers, Janette Manrara. In an Instagram post with a photo of the Strictly professionals, Evans said: "What it Feels Like to See Pictures of Strictly? "I'll be the first to admit I've made mistakes. Not quite the way the Daily Mail would have you believe, but mistakes all the same." Advertisement Evans accused the BBC of engaging in a series of "lies and cover-ups in order to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing" and said this was the "hardest part" for him. He added: "From my dealings right at the very top with (BBC director-general) Tim Davie, through BBC Wales and the HR department, one feeling has been constant: the only thing they truly care about is protecting themselves and their jobs and Ratings - people come second. "When I first stepped into the rehearsal room at Strictly, I thought it would be a magical experience. And at the start, it was. But the very first thing I was told was: 'Don't trust anyone in this room - not even me.' "That hit me hard. I've always worn my heart on my sleeve, and while I may sometimes sail close to the line, there's never malice in what I do. Advertisement "What I wasn't prepared for was the way people will protect their personal and BBC brands, at any cost." Evans claimed in his post that the HR department "twisted facts, invented files and dates, and created a version of events that simply wasn't true". Wynne Evans reveals heartbreaking conversation he had with his daughter after Strictly sacking shame "Statements were issued in my name that I hadn't even seen, let alone agreed to. My voice was taken away," he said. Evans previously said he had never approved of the statement that was issued by the BBC in January in which he apologised for making an "inappropriate and unacceptable" comment. Advertisement At the time, a BBC spokesperson said: "The apology issued on Wynne's behalf by the Strictly Come Dancing Tour PR representative on Saturday January 25 was fully approved by Wynne." Evans also said in his post on Tuesday: "Tim Davie publicly promised that the BBC would safeguard people who took part in Strictly. "I thought about that promise while sitting in a psychiatrist's office near the BBC, staring out of the window at the BBC building, fighting to save my own life. That's how close I came to the edge. "I'm not writing this as a victim, as I said I will own my mistakes. I'm writing it because the system is broken. Advertisement "Strictly is now fundamentally flawed in its duty of care. It's allowed to continue because of ratings, while people's wellbeing is left in tatters." The BBC published a review in 2024 that looked into allegations of bullying and harassment against former Strictly dancer Giovanni Pernice, made by his former dance partner Amanda Abbington. The corporation upheld some but not all of the complaints made and introduced a series of new measures aimed at improving welfare. This included the introduction of a chaperone who is present "at all times" during training room rehearsals. Advertisement Evans performed in the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Of The Opera and won 2023's Celebrity MasterChef. In May, he told the Sun that the comment he made on the Strictly Come Dancing tour was not sexual or directed at one of the female cast, but instead was a nickname for fellow contestant, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. In June, the opera singer announced his return to radio with The Wynne Evans Show, a live weekday internet broadcast. The BBC declined to comment on Evans' social media post. Advertisement The Sun has contacted the BBC for comment.
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Wynne Evans recalls the moment he 'fought to save his own life' near BBC building
Wynne Evans has opened up on how the Strictly Come Dancing scandal affected him in a candid post as he calls the system 'broken' and takes aim at BBC bosses Welsh opera singer Wynne Evans has candidly revealed how "close to the edge" he came following the Strictly scandal. The former Go Compare star, 53, has accused the BBC 's Strictly Come Dancing of being 'fundamentally flawed in its duty of care'. His comments come almost a year after his appearance on the BBC dance competition. As part of the 20th series, Evans partnered professional dancer Katya Jones. However, in May, Evans announced he had been dropped by the BBC and would no longer present on BBC Radio Wales after apologising for using 'inappropriate language' during the launch of the Strictly tour. And he revealed his thoughts after the turmoil saw him chat to a psychiatrist. In his post on Tuesday, the tenor said: 'Tim Davie publicly promised that the BBC would safeguard people who took part in Strictly. 'I thought about that promise while sitting in a psychiatrist's office near the BBC, staring out of the window at the BBC building, fighting to save my own life. That's how close I came to the edge." He went on: "I'm not writing this as a victim, as I said I will own my mistakes. I'm writing it because the system is broken. Strictly is now fundamentally flawed in its duty of care. It's allowed to continue because of ratings, while people's wellbeing is left in tatters.' Evans also accused the BBC of engaging in a series of 'lies and cover‑ups in order to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing' and said this was the 'hardest part' for him. He added: 'From my dealings right at the very top with (BBC director-general) Tim Davie, through BBC Wales and the HR department, one feeling has been constant: the only thing they truly care about is protecting themselves and their jobs and Ratings – people come second. 'When I first stepped into the rehearsal room at Strictly, I thought it would be a magical experience. And at the start, it was. But the very first thing I was told was: 'Don't trust anyone in this room — not even me.' 'That hit me hard. I've always worn my heart on my sleeve, and while I may sometimes sail close to the line, there's never malice in what I do. What I wasn't prepared for was the way people will protect their personal and BBC brands, at any cost.' Elsewhere in his post, Evans claimed in the HR department had 'twisted facts, invented files and dates, and created a version of events that simply wasn't true'. He said: "Statements were issued in my name that I hadn't even seen, let alone agreed to. My voice was taken away." He had previously shared an apology after the Mail On Sunday reported in January he had aimed a sexual joke at one of the other professional dancers, Janette Manrara. In May, he told the Sun that the comment made on the show's tour was not sexual or directed at one of the female cast. He said it was actually a nickname for fellow contestant, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. The BBC declined to comment on Evans' social media post.
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Strictly bosses 'in talks' with England rugby legend amid rumours over pro pairing
Strictly Come Dancing is set to return later this year with pros like Nadiya Bychkova having already begun rehearsals, ahead of the line-up of contestants being announced A retired rugby union player is reportedly in talks to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. There's already speculation over who they could be partnered with for the BBC dance contest if they end up taking part in the upcoming series. The show is set to return later this year and rehearsals underway for the professional dancers. The line-up of contestants for the new series of Strictly has yet to be announced, but there's been speculation over potential contestants in recent weeks. Chris Robshaw, 39, who captained England's national team, is now among those rumoured for the dancefloor when the show returns. Since his retirement from rugby in 2022, he's already been on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. It's been teased that Chris would likely be paired up with pro Nadiya Bychkova, 35, if he does Strictly this year. She was announced as one of the returning dancers in April, alongside two new additions to the pro line-up. Chris, who is married to classical singer Camilla Kerslake, is thought to be almost 6 foot 2 inches tall so there's speculation that Nadiya would be only pro close to matching his stature, unless he has a same-sex partner for the competition. A source teased to the Sun that Chris, who is reportedly in "advanced talks" for Strictly, and returning pro Nadiya could deliver "sizzling performances" if they are partnered on the show. The source said: "Chris is likely to be the hunkiest celebrity signing for the 2025 show and if he does get paired with Nadiya will deliver some sizzling performances. But as a former rugby star he'll also have some big dance shoes to fill as plenty of other players have gone onto Strictly and done remarkably well." A number of former rugby players have competed on Strictly since the TV show launched in 2004, with Martin Offiah placing fourth in the first series. Matt Dawson was runner-up in 2006 and Kenny Logan then placed fifth in 2007. Austin Healey also achieved a top five position when he competed in 2008, having placed fourth. Gavin Henson, who appeared on the show in 2010, and Ben Cohen, who competed in 2013, ended up in fifth and eighth place respectively. More recently, contestants with a background in rugby haven't done as well on Strictly though. Thom Evans placed twelfth when he competed in the ballroom back in 2014 and Ugo Monye placed eleventh in the contest in 2021. The line-up of contestants for the new series has yet to be announced. The BBC however has already confirmed which pros will be returning to the dancefloor, with Nadiya among the dancers coming back for another series. Nadiya and the other pros have already started rehearsing for the upcoming series. They have posted updates from training on Instagram, including introducing Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon, who are the newest pros on the show. A photo of the group together in a dance studio was shared by Nadiya last night. She wrote in the caption: "Back in the ballroom bubble with the best in the business. Another season, another adventure - and I'm so ready for it."
