Latest news with #LauraWoods
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘We'll pretend that didn't happen' – Laura Woods ‘pied' by Premier League cult hero, 51, after Champions League final
LAURA WOODS joked she was "pied" by former Paris Saint-Germain star Jay-Jay Okocha during the Champions League final coverage. Presenter Woods, 37, was joined by the former Bolton star after PSG smashed Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich live on TNT Sports. 3 3 Okocha initially came over to take a picture with Woods' co-stars, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves. And Woods - who has returned to presenting duties after having a baby with former Love Island star Adam Collard - invited the Premier League cult hero to chat with the panellists, who he used to play against. He revealed he was "amazed" by the scoreline and happy for his former club, who won their first ever Champions League trophy in style. After two minutes of talking, Okocha shook the three ex-footballers hands, before missing Woods out. The former talkSPORT host even stretched her arm out for handshake after thanking the 51-year-old for his impromptu interview. But Okocha seemingly missed it, instead passing Woods' hand while saying goodbye to Ferdinand, before turning to the rest of the lads. But the ever-professional host saw the funny side of Okocha's mishap and said, while laughing: "Why do I always get pied. "And it's not even meant. Anyway brilliant." Since then, Woods replied to TNT's post on X with: " Why always me 🤣." The new mum also released pre-show footage where she dropped an F-bomb at Ferdinand for ruining her practice intro. PSG fans tear gassed in violent clashes with cops as 400 arrested and two dead after Champions League win Woods later issued a heartfelt farewell to Ferdinand on his final TNT Sports appearance. The Manchester United legend is stepping away from the broadcaster after 10 years as a pundit. Meanwhile, Kate Abdo was substituted off during CBS Sports' coverage of the Champions League final. The popular presenter, 43, was replaced by colleague Anita Nneka Jones during the build-up to the match. Two goals by Desire Doue in addition to strikes by Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Senny Mayulu sealed a dominant win for PSG, 3
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Laura Woods drops F-bomb at Rio Ferdinand while covering Champions League final with TNT Sports as she shares hilarious unseen footage
Laura Woods dropped an F-bomb at Rio Ferdinand while presenting with TNT Sports during the Champions League final on Saturday night. Paris Saint-Germain won the competition for the very first time after a brutal 5-0 drubbing of Inter Milan in one of the most one-sided finals in history. Woods, who returned to her TV duties after welcoming her first baby with former Love Island star Adam Collard, was practising her introduction before going on air. But Ferdinand inadvertently ruined the take on his final game for the broadcaster after he strolled casually into the camera shot and distracted Woods. Taking to Instagram, Woods shared footage of the hilarious moment. In the video, the 37-year-old professionally delivered her lines while looking directly down the camera, before the bungling Ferdinand got in the way. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laura Woods (@laurawoodsy) Woods said: 'F***ing hell, Rio' before putting down her microphone and laughing. She then joked the take was 'going to be some of my best work ever' before Manchester United legend Ferdinand walked back in front of the camera again. The two exchanged playful jibes with Ferdinand holding the mic to Woods' mouth and pulling it away after she explained she had been halfway through a practice take. Woods cracked up at the joke and a few seconds later, Ferdiand realised the error of his ways after spotting the camera directed at him just a few steps to his right. Suddenly flustered, Ferdinand apologised to Woods for his comical error. Rounding off the clip, Woods declared: 'I wish that was live.' At the end of the show, Woods paid a touching tribute to Ferdinand after his final game working for the broadcaster, following a 10-year punditry stint. Woods said: 'Rio, before we leave, just one final goodbye. From us here at TNT Sport, to you. That is it for your career here, for now. 'Can I just say on behalf of all of us, including everyone behind the camera, you've been an absolute pleasure. Since I joined, you've been so incredibly welcoming.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘F****** hell Rio' – Laura Woods drops F-bomb as Rio Ferdinand ruins her intro in unseen Champions League final footage
LAURA WOODS dropped an F-bomb while working on the Champions League final as Rio Ferdinand ruined her intro. The match saw Paris Saint-Germain thrash Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich. 5 5 5 5 5 Before the game, Woods - who has returned to presenting duties on TNT Sports after having a baby with former Love Island star Adam Collard - was practicing her introduction before going live on air. But Woods' attempt ended in disaster as she was interrupted by Ferdinand - who was working on his final game for TNT Sports. Woods, 37, shared a video of the pre-broadcast footage to her social media. In it she can be seen talking through her interview with a microphone to her mouth before Ferdinand walks across the shot. As the former Manchester United star ambles across, the frustrated presenter then said: "F***ing hell Rio," before slamming her microphone down and laughing to herself. Woods then joked "that was going to be some of my best work ever," before Ferdinand walked back in front. The 46-year-old then playfully takes the microphone away from Woods just as she starts to explain she was doing a practice take. The pair are heard having a laugh, with Ferdinand holding the mic to Woods' mouth with him then pulling it away. Woods is seen cracking up at the prank before the former defender spots the camera next to him and realises he was in shot. Flustered Ferdinand then looks back at Woods and apologises to her for getting in the way before jumping out of frame. Laura Woods gives Adam Collard a telling off as they watch Newcastle vs Arsenal and reveal who their baby is supporting However, the presenter was unable to hold back her laughter and collapsed on the table, with Ferdinand also heard laughing away in the background. The clip ends with Ferdinand apologising again before Woods says: "I wish that was live." During the live broadcast, Woods issued a heartfelt tribute to Ferdinand as he bids farewell after working for them for 10 years as a pundit. She said: "Rio, before we leave, just one final goodbye. "From us here at TNT Sport, to you. That is it for your career here, for now. "Can I just say on behalf of all of us - including everyone behind the camera - you've been an absolute pleasure. "And personally since I joined, you've been so incredibly welcoming. "You'll be sorely, sorely missed."
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Battle of the Broadcasts: Reviewing TNT, CBS Sports' Champions League final
Paris Saint-Germain's historic 5-0 thrashing of Inter in Saturday's UEFA Champions League final was a sight to behold — and to viewers either via TV or streaming on either side of the Atlantic, they were treated to quite the range of viewing experiences. There's never a shortage of former players-turned-pundits when it comes to Champions League coverage, and this was no exception. Where networks can meet the moment on big occasions is where they can separate themselves from the pack, and it's clear that one rights holder succeeded in that regard, while the other may have played things a bit too much down the middle. Advertisement To that end, Tim Spiers assesses TNT Sports' presentation in the UK, while Pablo Maurer takes on CBS Sports' version in the U.S. — with a focus on the 'Beckham & Friends' simulcast that accompanied the live match: 'It's the Champions League final, where Munich is the backdrop and either Inter Milan or PSG will be crowned the best team in Europe.' And so begins TNT Sports' coverage (on Discovery+) of the final, anchored by the safe, warm hands of Laura Woods. There are two hours of build-up on the way, so what have TNT got in store for us? Must be something good. Big name guests? Special features? Searing, in-depth analysis? Well, no, not exactly. For starters, what they do have is a lot of people (11 hosts and/or pundits) and a lot of talking. First up, Woods is joined by Rio Ferdinand, appearing on TNT for the final time ('one last dance for Rio,' as Woods puts it) dressed in full suit with a white shirt and tie. Flying under the radar as usual. Next to him in the centre circle is Steven Gerrard, who has gone for a tie-less suit in a look that screams 'uncle at 10pm on the wedding party dance floor'. Within four minutes, Gerrard is talking about the miracle of Istanbul. 'We're all excited and can't wait for the kick off,' Gerrard then says, in a typically dour, stunted tone that suggests he's being held at gunpoint and forced to read a script. To be fair to Gerrard, saying you're excited is the theme for the show. He, Ferdinand and Karen Carney either say they can't wait, or they're excited, or that this game is the pinnacle, on six occasions combined in the opening 10 minutes. Later, Ally McCoist teases us by stating he 'cannot tell us' how excited he is. Carney is pitchside with host Reshmin Chowdhury and Owen Hargreaves. There's more pinnacle chat and more talk of what it's like to win the Champions League. Advertisement Then it's time for the star turns of TNT's coverage; Julien Laurens and (The Athletic's own) James Horncastle, and their exceptional knowledge and relaxed delivery provide the perfectly cooked meat on the thin TNT bones. Laurens hosts a segment in which he talks of how much winning the Champions League would mean to Paris, how children will play football on the streets after the match and how the sport is ingrained in the city. Sprinkled with mini PSG interviews, it's good content. Pitchside, with Gerrard and Ferdinand, boyhood PSG fan Laurens will show that you can have an allegiance to a team and not have to come across as a fanboy, or one-eyed, or biased (to be fair his giddy post-match chat will address the balance of this somewhat). In Milan, Horncastle is essentially interviewed by Hargreaves in an earlier recorded segment, speaking of Inter's history from the 1960s, Jose Mourinho's treble and of Inter's determination to right the wrongs of 2023. Aside from this, TNT's build up is just very, well, meh. The three presenters (Jules Breach being the third) are excellent, but in terms of previewing a match, there are no delving into histories or narratives, no proper interviews, no special features, no big names and nothing especially funny, just the predictable dressing room banter around Carney having tipped Inter to win it all year, or Ferdinand being unable to pronounce Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. What there is, is a lot of basic chat. About how loud the fans are going to be, about PSG being an unstoppable force and Inter an immovable object. And then two minutes of Linkin Park. Shame. One thing TNT isn't short of is opinions. Even the commentator, Darren 'Fletch' Fletcher will readily chime in with his thoughts and judgments. And anyone who watched the closing stages of Manchester United's incredible victory over Lyon in the Europa League will attest to how biased he, Ferdinand and Robbie Savage were towards United, in commentary that even MUTV would have cringed at. Advertisement It's actually a good thing for the bulk of TNT's match coverage and analysis here that there is no English team involved; no bias at all and everyone involved has had to do some research to fill the five hours of coverage. During the commentary, cringe moments are kept to a minimum, other than Ferdinand's in-joke about 'Fletch' eating lots of profiteroles in Paris. McCoist is his usual wide-eyed, engaging, cheery and very listenable self, eulogising over PSG's masterclass. The bombastic Ferdinand certainly isn't to everyone's tastes, and while there are a couple of lines that people will have taken straight to social media to regurgitate ('do you know what, I just got chills' and 'privilege to be here, guys') he mostly gets the tone right here, lambasting Inter's creaking defence and praising PSG to the hilt, in particular Desire Doue. At half-time, Gerrard, Carney and Hargreaves identify Inter's problems. 'Show (Federico) Dimarco where the shower is,' Gerrard says, harshly but fairly. 'They've got to change tactics and personnel. Get it wide and cross the ball, it's the only success they've had.' 'They've got to get tighter to Vitinha,' Carney adds. 'Inter need to start winning second balls,' Hargreaves concludes. Simone Inzaghi isn't tuning in. He changes very little and things only get worse. 'As a young coach or player watching that, that's the go-to game,' Gerrard says. 'All over the pitch, in possession, out of possession, that's the perfect performance.' Gerrard has a knack for summing up a team or a player. He's passionate, concise and knowledgeable. He also has an unfortunate habit of contradicting himself, like here when he says of winners PSG: 'They are littered with superstars all over the pitch, they've got four or five players that would walk into most teams in Europe.' Advertisement Just three hours earlier, before kick-off, it was a different story: '(PSG said) let's become a team, let's work hard for each other, there's no ego here, no superstars.' Hmm. Anyway, there's a lot to say in five hours, these things happen. Meanwhile, McCoist has got his calendar out: 'Fifty-third minute, 22nd of January in Paris, that's when it turned for me; 2-0 down they were, Haaland scored, and in the remaining half-hour they've scored four goals. They have not looked back since those four goals.' It's a suitably praiseworthy post-match show, which includes a nice on-pitch interview with Vitinha ('it's our dream, it's my dream, it's everyone's dream') and, very late in the piece, former PSG midfielder Jay-Jay Okocha joins the panel. Disappointingly, there is barely a word to be said on PSG's spending throughout the whole five-hour show, no mention of them being the third-highest spenders in the world in the last three seasons, nothing about them being a Qatari state-owned club. It's part of the story, but it wasn't told here. What was told though, poignantly, was the unfathomable tragedy of Luis Enrique's daughter Xana, who died in 2019 aged just nine. Woods sensitively brings the subject up on three occasions, once before the match and twice after. 'It is absolutely heartbreaking,' she says after PSG's beautiful tifo tribute has been unfurled. 'He (Luis Enrique) has one of the most incredible attitudes, when you hear him speak about his daughter and how special she was to him. 'One of the things he said which really choked me up is; 'I'm grateful for the time I did have with her'. 'For any parent watching who has children, or perhaps who has lost children, what a heartbreaking but heartwarming moment.' Woods is clearly emotional herself at this point. It's the most human moment of the evening, delivered impeccably and tactfully. Advertisement It's a real shame TNT's coverage lacks so much depth and heart elsewhere. It's just all very safe. You wouldn't call it innovative or groundbreaking, there are no boundaries being pushed, it's not particularly deeply informative for the tactical geeks, it's not especially entertaining or fun for the casual football viewer, it's not even controversial for the social media clicks and views. Perhaps it's just a personal opinion, perhaps the comments section below will be full of people praising TNT's magnificent coverage — and they did put on a decent show here. They got nothing wrong. They just didn't — Woods, Horncastle and Laurens aside — deliver anything to marvel at. Sky Sports undoubtedly do football better. So do Amazon. Considering the expense of subscribing to TNT (£30.99 per month), viewers deserve more. It feels fair to say, at this point, that CBS has pumped more resources into covering European soccer than any other network has in the history of American television. CBS is, at this point, the gold standard in the U.S. in terms of talent and production, and the network had that on full display for the Champions League final. The network's first-choice lineup — Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher — headed up the on-site coverage. With that group, CBS has successfully done what many other broadcasters in the U.S. have tried and failed to do: emulate the vibe and energy of 'Inside the NBA,' TNT's wildly successful basketball studio show. The network shipped Henry off to Italy to film a video feature with Inter striker Marcus Thuram, and the famously affable Henry got a great interview out of it, pushing Thuram to open up about the pressure he feels following in the footsteps of his father, legendary French footballer Lilian Thuram. CBS's entire pregame experience had the 'big game' feel required for a Champions League final. Advertisement Scott tapped out towards the end of the pregame broadcast, though, and headed for a suite above one of the endlines for the network's alternate broadcast: 'Beckham & Friends Live.' For these purposes, we are focusing on the watchalong and not CBS's primary offering; that booth was manned by Clive Tyldesley and Rob Green. Altcasts, as they've become known, are almost always a mixed bag, and 'Beckham & Friends Live' certainly wasn't any different. CBS stuck David Beckham alongside one of the only people who might approach or surpass Beckham's fame, American actor Tom Cruise. The duo had some compelling moments, but for the most part it was an odd fit. Cruise is a certifiable global megacelebrity, but many Americans have complicated feelings about him. He has, over the years, morphed from an easily-digestible, unquestionably talented actor into a polarizing figure. His association with Scientology and his dismissal of psychiatry and childhood vaccinations have understandably pushed many viewers away. Cruise, too, has always felt a little … synthetic, and that certainly came across during Saturday's broadcast. His response to Linkin Park, who put on a pregame performance, was to say, 'I love live music,' the sort of analysis that feels a little unhuman. His response to PSG's opening goal was to simply say the word 'wow,' in monotone, four times. Asked if he had any predictions or whether he was favoring either team, Cruise simply said he admired all the athletes out there. Much of what he said felt like it had been generated by AI. The Top Gun star is also on a global publicity blitz for Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning. There are certainly people out there who still watch his movies — that film, the eighth in the series, earned some $70million on its opening weekend. Listening to Cruise talk about his latest film for 10 minutes, though, was likely not something anybody watching a Champions League broadcast signed up for. In some ways, the broadcast likely would've been served better by an A-lister who has a bit more of a football background. Beckham was a breath of fresh air compared to his foil, and he and Cruise were joined by Henry midway through the first half, a very welcome change of pace. Beckham, a Champions League-winner in his own right, certainly added value during the pregame and opening moments by describing his own emotions before the 1998-99 final. Henry and Scott were also both typically superb, even managing to extract some decent moments out of Cruise. CBS eventually brought Richards and Carragher into the suite to do a little fanboying. CBS certainly didn't bring Cruise in to analyse anything about the match, and it's good they didn't, because he added little value to the experience, at first confusing Inter and AC Milan and later acting utterly, completely confused at the mere idea of a short corner. Admittedly, his total lack of footballing knowledge was borderline endearing at times, and Cruise was never afraid to ask a dumb question — not really a bad quality at all. Advertisement There were others who passed through: Tom Brady, along with PSG fan and NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who confessed to having grown up playing as Henry on FIFA. Juventus legend and CBS analyst Alessandro Del Piero joined briefly as well. Watching Scott alongside Richards, Henry and Carragher can sometimes feel like watching her herd cats, which is not always a bad thing given their overall energy. Her presence alongside Beckham and Cruise had a similar vibe — without her input, the entire experience might've devolved into watching two very famous, very well-groomed stars talk about how much they like each other. Scott's only misstep was actually a hilarious one: after the group was joined by Brady, she congratulated him on his success with Wrexham. Brady, of course, is part-owner at recently-promoted Birmingham City, not Wrexham, which is owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. It's an easy enough mistake to make. In the end, Beckham's sideshow wasn't bad, it just lacked a few compelling personalities. Beckham is certainly watchable, and as a former PSG player and Champions League winner has obvious gravitas, but paired with Brady and Cruise — two very dry and very polished figures — it at times fell flat. The bulk of the show's entertainment value, ironically, came from the personalities that CBS employs full-time: Scott and her crew. That muscle was on display in the post-game, where the network was typically nimble. Another of CBS's regular analysts — Anita Nneka Jones — tapped in for Scott while she transitioned from the box to a pitchside role and carried the show seamlessly. Along with the trophy lift, the broadcast brought us multilingual interviews with PSG captain Marquinhos and star winger Ousmane Dembele, both central figures in the game, along with English-language chats with French coaching great Arsene Wenger, PSG midfielder Vitinha and PSG president and architect Nasser Al-Khelaifi. It was an impressive haul. Ousmane Dembélé pulls up to UCL Today fresh off winning the Champions League and shares a moment with Thierry Henry 🇫🇷🥹 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 31, 2025 'It's an explosion of emotions.' 🥹 PSG captain Marquinhos soaks it all in after winning the UCL, shows love to Luis Enrique and even has jokes for @MicahRichards 😭 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 31, 2025 'The real work starts today.' PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi reflects on what winning the Champions League means for French football and how much it took to get here 🇫🇷👏 — CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 31, 2025 (We were also treated to Henry getting approached by an overzealous, pitch-invading PSG fan and kindly telling him they were live on air and he had to go.) It certainly speaks to CBS's current place in the soccer landscape in America that they can pull names like Cruise, Beckham Jr. and Brady at all, and the ability to transition from less-serious to access-driven analysis on a dime speaks to the crew's versatility and range. Their everyday coverage of the game at home and abroad remains elite, a far cry from the phoned-in broadcasts that American soccer fans were force-fed for years.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘So incredibly welcoming' – Laura Woods pays personal tribute to Rio Ferdinand as Man Utd legend, 46, leaves TNT Sports
LAURA WOODS has issued a heartfelt farewell to Rio Ferdinand on his final TNT Sports appearance. The Manchester United legend is stepping away from the broadcaster after 10 years as a pundit. 2 2 Ferdinand was on the TNT panel for Saturday's Champions League final in Munich. He was joined by host Woods, Steven Gerrard and Owen Hargreaves for his last broadcast. Following PSG's emphatic 5-0 win, Rio said: "I just want to say thank you to everybody that I've worked with. "My job was made a lot easier by the great people and friends that I have worked with and will remain friends for many years." The ex- England centre-back joined TNT back in 2015 as a pundit. He was drafted onto co-commentary duty shortly after and claimed his decision to leave was "difficult". Woods had one "final goodbye" for Ferdinand as Saturday's broadcast from Munich wound down. The presenter said: "Rio, before we leave, just one final goodbye. "From us here at TNT Sport, to you. That is it for your career here, for now. "Can I just say on behalf of all of us - including everyone behind the camera - you've been an absolute pleasure. PSG crowned Champions League winners after smashing Inter Milan 5-0 "And personally since I joined, you've been so incredibly welcoming. "You'll be sorely, sorely missed." Despite being incredibly busy with TNT for the last decade, Ferdinand has managed to launch a hugely successful podcast. His ' Rio Ferdinand Presents' pod, which was previously called 'Vibe with Five', has over 1.3 MILLION subscribers on YouTube. He has also been linked with a potential move to the BBC in the wake of Gary Lineker's departure on Match of the Day. Ferdinand's final game as a pundit proved to be a cracker, with PSG stunning Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich. Luis Enrique 's side ended the Parisian's Champions League drought in style, overpowering the Italians thanks to standout performance from Desire Doue. An emotional Enrique said: "Since day one, I said I wanted to win important trophies, and Paris had never won the Champions League. "We did it for the first time. It's a great feeling to make many people happy."
