BBC's Chapman jokes he's 'in Houston' as studio controversy overshadows World Cup coverage

Mark Chapman quipped that he was “based in Houston” during the BBC’s live World Cup coverage on Saturday after pundit Micah Richards pressed him to address the broadcaster’s controversial decision to present the tournament from a studio in Salford rather than on American soil.

Chapman was in the presenter’s chair alongside pundits Richards, Thomas Frank and Ellen White when Richards interrupted the opening of the show, urging Chapman to tackle “the elephant in the room.” The exchange turned out to be a light-hearted dig at Chapman’s flamboyant red and black shirt rather than the studio situation itself, though the underlying tension was clear. “It is a lovely Saturday afternoon here — where are we? Houston — and I thought I would just keep the vibe,” Chapman said, drawing laughter from the panel.

The BBC has faced sustained criticism for opting not to build a dedicated studio in the United States for the 2026 World Cup, while rival broadcaster ITV has set up a glamorous on-location studio with a backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge. Former BBC presenter Gary Lineker, who has since moved to ITV’s coverage, jokingly described his former colleagues as operating out of “a green box in Salford.”

The controversy deepened earlier in the week when Houston Dynamo publicly mocked the BBC over a factual error during Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday, 17 June. During that broadcast, a screen behind Chapman, Wayne Rooney, Olivier Giroud and Gael Clichy displayed a Houston skyline that had been digitally altered to include mountain scenery — a conspicuous mistake given that Houston sits just 105 feet above sea level and has no such landscape. The MLS club responded on social media by posting a manipulated image of their Shell Energy Stadium set against a snowy mountain range, captioned: “You just can’t beat this view.”

Lineker’s absence from BBC coverage adds another layer to the story. The former England striker had been set to front the BBC’s World Cup presentation, but his contract with the broadcaster ended before the tournament began. He has since been confirmed as a guest for ITV’s coverage of the group-stage clash between Germany and Ivory Coast on Saturday evening.