Adam Richman appearance sparks ITV World Cup viewer backlash
adam richman turned up in ITV’s 2026 World Cup coverage on Thursday, and viewers immediately pushed back on X. The former Man v Food host appeared in a surprise segment as Mexico City beat South Africa 2-0 at Azteca Stadium.
ITV’s World Cup desk
Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane were already on ITV’s match analysis team when Richman appeared alongside Semra Hunter. That mix of regular football names and a food TV face was the part many viewers singled out, turning a broadcast choice into a talking point before the football had settled.
One X user wrote, "ITV need to ditch this Adam Richman thing ASAP. It’s cringe." Another posted, "ITV please get rid of that American bloke and the woman with him. They're awful. #Worldcup #ITVworldcup." The complaints were not limited to Richman alone; they kept coming as the segment continued.
Semra Hunter’s error
During the same coverage, Hunter mistook former Chelsea manager Graham Potter for Gareth Southgate. That drew a sharp reaction online too. One X user wrote, "No way they just called Graham Potter Gareth Southgate on ITV." Another said, "Why is the man vs food guy talking football on ITV. And why did the woman just call Graham Potter, Gareth Southgate."
The broadcast error gave the backlash a second target: viewers were not just rejecting the surprise guest, they were reacting to a live slip on a night when the channel was trying to frame the opening of the tournament. For a World Cup opener, that is the kind of segment that can drag the conversation away from the match itself.
Mexico’s 2-0 win
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored Mexico’s goals, while South Africa finished with nine men. Mexico also ended with 10 men in the closing moments after Yaya Sithole, Themba Zwane and Cesar Montes were all given their marching orders.
One more X post captured the wider tone: "Why the the bloke from man v food punditing football on itv and why’s the female host saying she’s proud of him for saying Villarreal correctly?" That line says where the irritation sat: Richman’s presence was read as novelty, and the Hunter mistake made the whole segment feel even less anchored to the football. ITV now has a clear warning on presentation, because the discussion around its opening-night coverage was driven as much by its studio choices as by the 2-0 result.
