Matt Baker was forced to issue a swift apology to viewers at home on Monday, as angry viewers at home missed out on seeing Team GB hero Max Whitlock in the Olympic gymnastics final.
Three time Olympic gold medallist Max is back in the men's team for the Paris Games, with Team GB's men qualifying for the team final in third place, behind China and Japan. Max's favoured event, the pommel horse, was the first apparatus for the quartet as they aimed to get a medal, however, while the BBC did air teammate Jake Jarman's routine, coverage then moved to watch a Japanese gymnast do his floor routine, just as Max was performing.
With fans at home hoping to see Max left in the dark about how he was doing, commentator Matt, himself a former gymnast, was forced to step in and apologise, adding that he hoped everyone would get to see the former champion's routine in a break between rotations.
READ MORE: Rebecca Adlington left in tears during live BBC Olympics broadcast
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As it turned out, viewers found out Max's score before they actually got to see the routine, with Matt revealing that he'd been awarded a 15.2. The fact that they didn't actually get to see Max in action in real time angered people watching the already scaled down BBC coverage at home, with one taking to X to rant: "Max Whitlock not being shown, where are our cameras?" as another wrote: "Yeah the BBC are taking the p*** on the gymnastics #Olympic2024 Why are you not showing any Team GB? Not even Max Whitlock."
A third reacted: "Love watching the BBC coverage of the British gymnastics olympics routines AFTER they've done them, as "our cameras aren't on him at the moment" and relying on vocal commentary....."
After the BBC then caused farther uproar by cutting away to kayaking after just one rotation of the men's gymnastics final, County Durham born star Matt then had to inform viewers at home of Team GB's Harry Hepworth's score for the vault, after that too wasn't shown live on air, before fans watching at home then missed out on seeing Max Whitlock's high bar routine.
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