Jules Breach, Joe Cole and Joleon Lescott are forced to keep their cool as England fans chant ‘Channel 4 is f***ing s***’ live on air after North Macedonia draw
Channel 4 presenter Jules Breach had to keep her cool alongside pundits Joe Cole and Joleon Lescott during live coverage of England’s draw against North Macedonia on Monday.
Gareth Southgate’s side ended their European Championship qualifying campaign with a whimper at the Tose Proeski Arena, where they were forced to come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in their final match of 2023.
Captain Harry Kane came off the bench in the second half to force Jani Atanasov into an own goal from a Phil Foden corner after home captain Enis Bardhi scored a rebound after seeing his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford.
But it was after the match that Breach and the match pundits had to remain sober as the broadcast came under verbal attack from the England supporters in the ground.
Chants of ‘Channel 4, f***ing s***’ could be heard on the live feed as the trio analyzed the match, but all three team members managed to avoid reacting in any way to what was being chanted. their direction.
Channel 4’s broadcast team were forced to keep their cool following England’s draw against North Macedonia on Monday evening, after fans chanted ‘Channel 4 is f****** s***’ live on air
England were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw in their final international match of 2023
Channel 4 has shown England’s qualifiers for the Nations League and European Championship in recent months, winning the rights to do so from ITV in the latest round of negotiations.
The channel has received heavy criticism from fans, with much of it being considered sub-par in terms of what viewers are looking for.
Mailsport However, revealed in September that ITV had won back the rights from their rivals, securing a four-year deal to take over from Channel 4 when their agreement expires in 2024.
The channel has a long association with the English side. It shared coverage with Sky Sports until Channel 4 stepped in last year to take over the rights for the Nations League and European qualifiers to next year’s European Championship. ITV will then share the rights for the tournament with the BBC before their deal takes effect.
The move has been welcomed by ITV bosses and comes at a time when the broadcaster is leading the way despite also facing widespread criticism from viewers who have also won the rights to the Rugby World Cup in France.
English supporters chanted after the whistle in Skopje: ‘Channel 4 is f****** s***’
Channel 4 has lost the rights to the England matches from 2024, with coverage set to return to ITV
On the pitch, England will be hoping for a successful tournament as they enter as one of the favourites, despite still not winning a major trophy since 1966.
Southgate and Co disappointed in the last international break until March. They beat Malta 2-0 at Wembley on Friday but struggled ahead of Monday’s draw against a team who failed to qualify for the European Championship.
But England finished their group unbeaten and will hope their experiences of going far in major competitions under Southgate will help their bid to finally lift a trophy in Germany.
The Three Lions will face Brazil and Belgium at Wembley in March 2024 in preparation for the competition.