Laura Woods has responded to backlash from Scotland fans on social media over accusations of bias after claims that World Cup coverage from British broadcasters will be ‘mostly English’.
Woods, 38, is set to lead ITV Sport’s coverage of this summer’s tournament in North America alongside fellow presenter Mark Pougatch.
Both England and Scotland are representing the home nations in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, with Thomas Tuchel’s men in Group L, while the Scots are situated in Group C with the likes of Brazil and Morocco.
ITV and its Scottish equivalent STV hold the rights for the World Cup in the UK as well as the BBC, with the broadcasters set to cover both nations progression throughout the competition.
However, in a row with a social media user, Woods stated that the coverage from British broadcaster will be biased toward the English.
Woods wrote: ‘Wait until they see how ‘biased’ the World Cup coverage on both ITV and BBC is. Hint. It’ll be mostly English…’
Broadcaster Laura Woods has upset Scotland fans on social media regarding World Cup coverage
Woods claimed that British broadcasters coverage will be ‘mostly English’ during the tournament
Scotland fans did not take kindly to the post on X, with many hitting out at the presenter for favouritism toward the Three Lions.
One user replied: ‘Uk broadcaster btw [thumbs up emoji. Scotland are in the World Cup. Horrible clown btw.’
Another who also took issue said: ‘Yeah maybe that’s the problem Laura when you’re a British broadcaster.’
A different Scotland fans also used the post to explain why their fanbase enjoys watching England fail to win the World Cup, which is something they haven’t managed since 1966.
‘Reason 1 million why the rest of the world revels in England never winning the trophy,’ they wrote.
The row began after Woods received criticism after TNT Sports’ coverage of Arsenal’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday night.
Woods was tasked with presenting the Gunners’ clash with Les Parisiens in Budapest, which they lost on penalties, alongside an Arsenal-heavy punditry panel of Jack Wilshere and Martin Keown, who both used to play for the club, and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
TNT Sports’ coverage of European football’s showpiece event has been under much scrutiny in the days since the final, with the Telegraph bemoaning that the show was ‘all Arsenal, all the time’.
Woods will lead ITV Sport’s World Cup coverage alongside Mark Pougatch (middle left)
The article also labelled Woods, who is an avid Arsenal fan, as a ‘fan presenter’ in an in-depth review of the show.
The presenter, who regularly presents TNT’s coverage of the Champions League, didn’t take too kindly to the article, and her response sparked mass debate.
She wrote 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.’
Some support was then shown to Woods by an Arsenal fan who called the Telegraph’s piece ‘f***ing disrespectful’.
The presenter then posted her World Cup row starting line before adding: ‘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’.
Another response to the series of posts explained why non-England fans are getting ‘fed up’ with coverage of major tournaments the Three Lions take part in.
It 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.’
The World Cup begins on June 11, while Scotland’s opener is in the early hours of June 14, as they face Haiti.
England’s first game in the group stage is against Croatia three days later at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
England legends Gary Neville and Ian Wright will be working for ITV as pundits throughout the tournament, while Duncan Ferguson and Ally McCoist will be flying the flag for Scotland on their coverage.
Woods, who is an Arsenal fan, came under scurtiny for bias during TNT Sports’ coverage of the Gunners’ Champions League final defeat to PSG
Meanwhile, World Cup winners Patrick Vieira and Juan Mata will also provide punditry for the broadcaster, as well as former Tottenham and Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou.
Woods will be presenting the show whilst pregnant with her second child, after revealing that she is expecting prior to the Champions League final.
The sports presenter took to Instagram on Friday to share a snap of her ultrasound and penned: ‘Hey, baby number 2.’
She already shares son Leo, 18 months, with her fiancé Adam Collard, who is most famous for starring on Love Island.
Adam, 30, known also for his stint on Celebrity SAS, and Laura went public with their relationship after they began dating in October 2023. They got engaged in September 2024 after he proposed on a beach in St Ives, Cornwall.
