Kate Abdo roars on air as she introduces CBS’s Champions League show as Fox Sports
Football host Kate Abdo made a hilarious mistake live on-air during CBS’s Champions League coverage Tuesday afternoon by introducing the network as “Fox Sports.”
The broadcasters are rivals with CBS owning the rights to the Champions League in the United States, while Fox Sports is the home of the World Cup in the United States.
The 41-year-old made the mistake during CBS coverage of Inter Milan’s victory over AC Milan that it took his sport into the Champions League final with a 3-0 aggregate victory in the Derby della Madonnina.
As soon as she spoke the name of the network, Abdo realized she had made a mistake and tried to come back, but the damage was already done.
The blunder elicited comedic reactions from the show’s pundits, with Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Thierry Henry bursting into hysterics.
Kate Abdo (left) made a hilarious mistake live on-air during CBS’s Champions League coverage
The host introduced the network as “Fox Sports,” sending the show’s pundits, (L-R) Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards, hysterical
Former Liverpool defender Carragher even dropped to his knees during his fit of laughter
Carragher, who even dropped to his knees during his fit of laughter, clung to the top of the field desk as he joked, “We’re all getting fired. Any jobs at Fox?”
Henry walked off screen with his head down, while Abdo also turned her back on the camera before returning with a regretful look on her face.
“I’m so sorry, the teleprompter had just kind of got up and my apologies,” said Abdo, who has been a member of the CBS Sports family since August 2020. “I’m about to be fired. Pete, I’m so sorry.”
Abdo has previously worked for Fox Sports and Sky Sports in the UK, joining full time in 2017.
She covered her fourth World Cup with Fox last year after commanding at FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 and FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015.
In Qatar, she anchored tonight’s nightly FIFA World Cup schedule, before returning to CBS’s Champions League schedule when domestic soccer returned after the tournament.
She previously anchored Sky Sports, joining in 2014, and hosted the FIFA Ballon d’Or ceremonies in 2014, 2015 and 2016, presenting Cristiano Ronaldo his third and fourth awards and Lionel Messi his fifth .
Abdo and the three experts were out of the studio and in Milan on Tuesday to watch the second leg semi-final between Inter Milan and AC Milan at San Siro.
Abdo, who has been working for CBS since 2020, joked that she was ‘about to be fired’
It was the first time the two sides had met at this stage of the competition in nearly two decades, with Inter winning 3–0 on aggregate.
Either 14-time winner Real Madrid or reigning Premier League champions Manchester City await them in the final in Istanbul on June 10.
The start of last week’s delightful semi-final first leg between AC and Inter Milan didn’t go according to plan for CBS either.
Last week, Abdo suffered an equally amusing hiccup while presenting when she struggled to finish her intro due to uncontrollable coughing.
When Abdo started her opening segment, she had to stop her introduction, pause, and then cough.
Joined by former Liverpool defender Carragher, Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and ex-Manchester City man Micah Richards as experts for the match between two of Italy’s biggest clubs.
Abdo also had to interrupt her intro during last week’s show because of a tickle in her throat
Jamie Carragher came to her aid with a bottle of water at the start of the programme
Carragher had to come to Abdo’s aid and give her a bottle of water, while Henry also checked that she was okay.
CBS’s coverage of Europe’s premier football tournament is humorous and perhaps better known for its banter than its insightful analysis.
Abdo himself provides much laughter and often mocks Richards for his lack of Champions League success.
She once introduced his colleagues Henry and Carragher as Champions League winners, with the pair winning the European Cup in 2009 and 2005 respectively, before naming Richards as the man to make five appearances in the tournament.