Gareth Southgate's England players will have a new group of critics for their UEFA Nations League matches next month – the stars of Gogglebox.
Channel 4, which has secured the rights to England games in the tournament, is planning to stamp its own identity on their coverage starting with one of the most popular shows on television. Gogglebox is set to focus on the England games with its stars watching matches and then having their own unique say on the action.
It should provide great entertainment as Channel 4 prepares to give a different feel to the matches on a station which also has the rights England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
England open their Nations campaign against Hungary in Budapest a week tomorrow before they face Germany away, Italy at home and then a return match with the Hungarians. And whatever the result, Giles and his wife Mary in Wiltshire and Pete and his sister Sophie in Blackpool will be having their say.
Award winning sports presenter Ade Adepitan is expected to be part of Channel 4’s team while Kate Abdo, who is brilliant on CBS’s Champions League coverage, is tipped to be involved. It is clearly part of Channel 4’s plan to have their own identity and cast list rather than have the same roster of TV people which must leave viewers and radio listeners utterly confused as to what channel they are on.
Boss Southgate announced the squad he has selected for the upcoming matches next month, the headline absentees being the likes of Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, as well as Man Utd pair Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. Meanwhile, Leicester starlet James Justin has been handed his maiden call-up alongside Jarrod Bowen, the winger having enjoyed a stand-out campaign with West Ham United.
Do you agree with England being made to play behind closed doors? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Whilst the Gogglebox crew will be keen watches of the Three Lions during the upcoming international period, there will be matches played behind closed doors. England's trip to Hungary will be played in front of an empty stadium as punishment for the Hungarian FA following a number of racist incidents the last time the two nations came together.
Elsewhere, the Three Lions' home showdown with Italy at Molineux will also be without supporters after a number of unsavoury incidents at last summer's Euro 2020 final at Wembley, a decision that Southgate has admitted he is embarrassed by.
"Well, we're on a yellow card aren't we?," he said. "So we are where we are. We've got the embarrassment now of playing behind closed doors at home.
"Normally when you watch those things having happened abroad we're all grandstanding about how it's someone else's problem and how this country should be dealt with - and now it's us. That's not a good optic for our country."
