Sports presenters usually walk a tightrope when it comes to offering their own views but Laura Woods, football’s £1.5million-a-year golden girl broadcaster, has shattered that mold.
Woods is preparing to anchor ITV’s coverage of the World Cup and has become one of the most outspoken hosts in her field.
The 38-year-old, who is expecting her second child with former Love Island contestant Adam Collard, was this week embroiled in another row, this time over accusations of ‘bias’ and ‘fan presenting’ for her beloved Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat against PSG.
Woods bit back at those jibes online about her work for TNT Sports but her response was far from an anomaly.
She’s spoken passionately against transgender athletes competing in women’s sport and even engaged in debates about Charlie Kirk following the controversial former American political commentator’s assassination.
The former Sports Presenter of the Year winner even branded fellow broadcaster Richard Keys a ‘t**t’ back in January.
Here, we take a look at how Woods has courted controversy and became the most outspoken presenter at the World Cup.
Laura Woods is pictured at the Champions League final along with pundits Steven Gerrard, Owen Hargreaves and Martin Keown
Row over Arsenal ‘bias’
Plenty of neutral and rival fans tuning in to watch the Champions League final were put off by what they perceived to be an Arsenal love-in.
The Telegraph even provoked a response from Woods, capturing that sentiment in a piece calling the coverage ‘all Arsenal, all the time’.
She retorted on X: ‘Can’t really help it if my team makes the final and I’m contracted to work that show. But you knew that.’
The presenter then added: ‘Wait until they see how ‘biased’ the World Cup coverage on both ITV and BBC is. Hint. It’ll be mostly English.’
She also wrote: ‘You don’t think there’ll be more English pundits and an English presenter on England games?’
Woods then finished off by claiming she hopes ‘to be accused of being a “fan presenter”‘ while out in North America, and that was her ‘point’.
Her comments enraged Scottish fans in particular.
One response read: ‘This is exactly why we get fed up with the coverage. No matter who’s playing it’ll still be a half time report from the English camp with constant updates from them.’
Woods is a huge Arsenal fan, pictured here embracing manager Mikel Arteta
The transgender debate
Woods could easily have shied away from speaking about her views on the transgender debate in women’s sport, particularly after receiving horrific abuse.
She first made her opinion known on the Olympic boxing gender debate when Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting secured boxing golds despite allegedly failing gender tests.
On the final day of the competition, The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown published an article titled: ‘Blinded by ideology: Inside boxing row that undermined IOC and tarnished Olympics
Brown declared in the article that IOC president Thomas Bach had ‘failed in his duty to protect female athletes by allowing Khelif and Lin to win gold despite failing sex tests’.
A day after the article was published, Woods replied to a post by the author on X as she wrote: ‘Great article Oli’, followed by an applause emoji.
This comment sparked hundreds of replies to Woods, who then argued with several fans via the social media network.
One read: ‘Actually it isn’t, do a bit more research!’ Woods hit back: ‘Which part?’
Another fan simply wrote: ‘Ewww’, to which Woods replied: ‘What’s eww, Jamie? Be more specific’.
Two days later, Woods revealed she had received online death threats to her as yet unborn baby.
‘Since I replied to this article I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child,’ wrote Woods. ‘Questions on my own gender (I’m pregnant so guess that clears that one up) calls for my employers to sack me, threats to my home.
Woods is engaged to former Love Island contestant Adam Collard, who proposed in Cornwall
‘I’ve been called a racist, a bigot and a sexist as well as various insults – ****, s**g etc.
‘I’ve also been asked why I haven’t raised any concerns on this topic before? See above for your answer.’
She later called out Labour peer Fiona Twycross for not being aware of a UN study that suggested nearly 900 potential women’s sport medals had been won by biological males.
Baroness Twycross, a Labour spokeswoman, was being questioned in the Lords on Tuesday about fairness in women’s sport after two boxers won gold medals at the Paris Olympics despite allegedly failing gender tests last year.
Woods posted on X: ‘By March this year over 600 female athletes in more than 400 events were defeated by trans-identifying males who took a total of 890 medals.’
‘”I’m not aware of that report” was the response from @fionatwycross. The report is entitled: “Violence Against Women and Girls in Sport.” Why isn’t she aware of it?’
Charlie Kirk admiration
Woods was one of the many high-profile figures from the world of sport and beyond to react to Charlie Kirk’s death.
The controversial American political commentator and conservative influencer was shot dead aged 31 while speaking at Utah Valley University last year.
He held hugely divisive views on gender, abortion and Islam among other topics. He was also accused of racism, saying on his podcast in 2023: ‘Prowling blacks go around for fun to go target white people.’
In reference to affirmative action, he said the same year: ‘If I see a black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.’
In reaction to his death, Woods posted on X: ‘I really can’t get out of my head what has happened to Charlie Kirk. I watched him a lot, not because I agreed with everything he said, but because he was an absolutely formidable commentator and could debate in a relentless, yet respectful way. Shot in the throat for using his voice. I’ll never get that image out of my head. Horrifying.’
Woods has risen to the top of her profession but never shied away from airing her views
She faced a backlash from those who opposed Kirk’s views, with one saying she would be a ‘housewife’ if the American had his way.
‘This is the problem. A lot of his views are taken and misinterpreted by people like you,’ she wrote before adding: ‘His wife worked. She has a career as well as a family. So that’s just not true is it?’
Another user wrote: ‘Why do you feel like you have to justify your stance with his opinion? This is the problem in society. You’re terrified of the ramifications of agreeing with common sense.’
Woods replied: ‘If I was terrified of ramifications I wouldn’t have spoken at all. Why don’t you take a step back and direct this at someone else.’
Calling Richard Keys a ‘t**t’
Woods issued a brutal reply to Richard Keys following her fellow presenter’s remarks after the death of Gabby Logan’s father, Terry Yorath.
Former Welsh footballer Yorath died after a short illness in January and Keys wrote: ‘Sad to hear the news of Terry Yorath’s passing. He was a warrior & won fans over wherever he played.
‘He was great for us at Coventry & the reason I got Gabby a job at Sky. I had no idea who she was when we met but I knew her dad. RIP Terry. Your daughter did you proud.’
Woods was among those astonished by the bizarre dig at the grieving presenter.
She wrote: ‘Sorry… but what a t**t. Said with zero surprise.’ She later added: ‘Also want to add my respects to the thousands of others who are showing theirs compassionately to a much beloved broadcaster and her family. Sending all my love x.’
Woods branded Keys a t**t and said she was not surprised about the apparent nature of his message
Keys and Logan have been butting heads for a number of years, with the latter, who currently works for the likes of BBC Sport and Prime Video, making a series of accusations against the former Sky Sports host in 2022.
68-year-old Keys vowed to take legal action against Logan after her claims in her memoirs.
Among Logan’s allegations in 2022 were that Keys and Gray joked about refusing to have sex with pregnant women while Logan was carrying twins.
Keys took a huge swipe at Logan and said she ‘always had an awful lot to say’ – revealing she was known as ‘The Gabbler’ when he worked with her in broadcasting.
So his clumsily-worded tribute to Yorath drew an angry response, led by Woods.
Keys later responded: ‘What a shame my words for a footballing hero of mine were entirely misinterpreted. Terry Yorath was a fabulous guy. A warrior. My affection for him meant I was more than happy to help him & his family in any way I could. Gabby’s career would make any father proud. RIP Terry.’
