Jeanette Kwakye fronted One’s opening session coverage of the European Athletics Championships from the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Monday, August 10, but the broadcast began with no sound. Viewers on One and iPlayer complained on X before audio returned after several minutes of complete silence.
The coverage opened with a montage of memorable athletics moments before Kwakye appeared on screen, adding to the surprise for viewers expecting the live session to begin normally. She was joined by Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford, with commentary from Steve Cram, Steve Backley, Andrew Cotter, Colin Jackson and Paula Radcliffe.
One and iPlayer complaints
One viewer wrote: " One has no sound??" Another posted: "Dear @ can we have some sound on the athletics please FFS." A third said: "Watching the athletics on 1, think I've gone deaf," while another added: "That's a good start @BBCSport @BBCOne, no sound at all on your coverage of the #EuropeanAthletics. Oh dear. Over to @tntsports then."
One complaint said: "The coverage is usually top notch, but the first 3 minutes today covering a montage of previous sporting success we had no sound." Another wrote: "It's been nearly 10 mins and there still is no sound on the @BBCSport athletics coverage, both on One and iPlayer. Are the sound techs having a lie in?" Those posts placed the problem squarely at the start of the live broadcast, before the first heats were properly underway.
Alexander Stadium opening session
The sound returned after several minutes as the session moved into competition, with the women's 100 metres featuring Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Daryll Neita. Heats also took place in the women's 400 metre hurdles and the men's 800 metres and 400 metres, while qualifying was under way in the men's and women's shot put, the men's hammer and the long jump.
The broadcast problem sits against a session that was meant to be a live showcase from Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, with track action and field qualifying arriving in quick succession. For viewers, the immediate issue was simple: the opening minutes arrived with silence, and the live feed did not stay off screen for long before sound came back.
