Furious viewers today blasted the BBC for spoiling Jenny Jones’ Olympic bronze medal success – branding the commentators “puerile and hyperactive.”
Ed Leigh, Tim Warwood and Aimee Fuller came in for a barrage of criticism on Twitter from viewers who called for them to be AXED.
During the commentary, the team incorrectly told the nation Jenny had won GOLD and un-sportingly whooped with delight when a competitor fell over.
Angry parents also called for the BBC to take action after the commentators made vulgar sexual innuendos during the programme which was broadcast on Sunday morning.
They also cried openly on air when 33-year-old Jenny secured a bronze medal – brazenly adding that “all professionalism has just gone out the window”.
At one point Leigh was forced to cut Fuller’s microphone because she was screaming so loudly she was drowning out the rest of the commentary team.
And despite repeatedly telling viewers how sporting snowboarding rivals were, they distastefully cheered when Jenny’s main competitor Anna Gasser suffered a fall – securing Team GB’s first ever Winter Olympic medal on snow.
As Gasser hit the ground after losing control of her board the BBC team erupted into cheers and tears.
While Leigh and Warwood whooped Fuller screamed: “Jones gets bronze” before asking: “Can I stand on my chair now?”
The cheering became so load that Fuller herself even remarked: “Whoa, are we supposed to do that? Probably not.”
The three then told baffled viewers they were all crying in the box as Warwood admitted “all professionalism has just gone out of the window”.
As he desperately struggled to maintain control over his fellow commentators, he said: “I shall be the dad here, let’s keep our composure, we are live on the BBC.”
But fuming viewers took to twitter to vent their frustration at the commentary team – with some admitting they had been forced to switch the sound off.
Paul Morton wrote: “I thought I’d tuned into CBeebies or “Grange Hill does Val d’ISere” by mistake, turned out to be BBC’s #Slopestyle commentators #myeardrums.”
Helena added: “Want a refund on the bit of my licence fee paying for the appalling slopestyle commentators. They’re a disgrace.”
Nick Blacow wrote: “Deary me can the @BBCSport slopestyle commentators please get a grip you are working for the BBC for god’s sake!”
User Adam Yates added: “Never heard such puerile hyperactive guff in my life. BBC should axe those three clowns immediately. Had to mute coverage.”
Other users blasted the sexual innuendos the commentary team used, including joking about a competitor having “slugs in her knickers.”
Leigh and Warwood also collapsed into fits of infantile giggles when they joked about “pumping the fist in the commentary box” – slang for a sexual act.
Leigh also referred to Olympic hero Jenny’s reaction to winning the bronze – telling viewers she “had a face that can help bread rise.”
Leigh, 39 has worked for the BBC presenting flagship snow sports show Ski Sunday since 2007 after previously working for Channel 4, while Warwood presented CBBC show Wild! after a low-key career as a professional snowboarder.
One viewer said: “It was awful, you would not have expected this in the heyday of BBC coverage, could you imagine Ski Sunday commentators reacting like that?”
Amir Adhamy added: “So just popped online to see people’s reactions to the commentary, I cannot believe I’m alone in finding them unbearably annoying.
“They’re like hungover teenagers, talking over each other and yelping. It’s giving me a headache – I came here to zone out and watch people in hyper trendy fluffy clothes do cool stuff in snow. Ugh. Call me a naysayer.”
Dad-of-one Graham Carr tweeted: “Just been watching BBC coverage of snowboarding with my 6-yr-old son. He just asked what ‘pumping the fist’ meant. Disgusting BBC.”
User Melanie wrote: “Wish BBC snowboarding commentary team get buried in avalanche. Cringing so much my face hurts. Can’t believe we pay their wages!”
However some viewers claimed to have enjoyed the raucous commentary, twitter user Becca wrote: “The BBC commentators on the women’s snowboard slopestyle are my favourite people ever.”
The BBC today apologised to viewers after they received 303 complaints about the women’s slopestyle commentary team.
A spokesperson for the corporation said: “The Jenny Jones medal win attracted a peak audience of 3.1m peak with a considerable 33 per cent share.
“The BBC have received 303 complaints relating to this commentary. The highest peak of the day was 4m at 7pm.
“This was a truly historic occasion for Team GB and the commentary team were understandably very excited, however we acknowledge that on occasion this excitement got the better of them and this is something that we will work on for future events.
“We have received 53 appreciations about our overall Winter Olympics coverage so far.”
