Jamie Laing Reportedly 'Furious' Over Boat Race Blunder, Attempted to Shift Blame
Jamie Laing has been left reportedly 'furious' following his high-profile blunder during the Boat Race coverage over the weekend, with sources indicating he tried to shift blame behind the scenes. The Made in Chelsea star and radio presenter, 37, was working alongside broadcasting legend Clare Balding to cover the annual races between Cambridge and Oxford universities.
Oscars-Style Envelope Mix-Up During Live Broadcast
During the live broadcast, Laing mistakenly offered commiserations to Cambridge University Boat Club - despite them having just won the race against Oxford. The presenter later explained on social media that he had been given the wrong cue card, comparing the incident to the Oscars' infamous 'envelopegate' moment.
'Sorry, my mistake. That's a typo,' Laing said in a clip he shared online. 'Commiserations go to the losing crew Oxford University Boat Club. It's like the Oscars all over again. Now, let's welcome the winners to the podium, Cambridge University Boat Club.'
Captioning the post, he wrote: 'When you get handed the wrong cue card on LIVE TV.'
Insider Reveals Backstage Tensions and Blame-Shifting
According to an insider speaking to The Sun, while Laing handled the on-air mistake professionally, he was anything but happy behind the scenes. 'Jamie reacted well to the mess-up at the time, but made it very clear he wasn't happy behind the scenes,' the source revealed.
The insider continued: 'He was furious that the mistake had been allowed to happen - and instantly knew the moment would go viral. Jamie's had to suffer a lot of backlash as a result and has been quick to shift the blame. He's the face of the gaffe, but he has tried to point fingers at the off-camera team as much as possible.'
Viewer Criticism of Presenting Style
Earlier in the broadcast, many viewers had already criticized Laing's presenting approach, particularly his repetitive questioning of participants. Social media users noted his tendency to ask variations of the same questions repeatedly throughout the coverage.
One X user commented: 'Jamie Laing is ridiculous. He simply asks everyone in the #boatrace "How are you feeling?"' Another added: 'Someone should tell Jamie Laing he's allowed to ask other questions than "How are you feeling?" and "How proud are you?"'
Channel 4 Comes to Laing's Defense
Despite the criticism and behind-the-scenes tensions, Channel 4 has strongly defended Laing's performance, even offering him future work on the show. A network spokesman stated: 'Jamie was a fantastic addition to the broadcast and brought great energy to the event. As with any live sports production, occasional errors can occur in a fast-paced environment, and we're grateful for how professionally the moment was handled.'
The annual Boat Race sees men's and women's teams from Cambridge and Oxford universities compete along a 4.25-mile course from Putney to Mortlake. This year's coverage marked Laing's high-profile involvement in the historic sporting event, which typically draws significant television audiences.
Metro has contacted Jamie Laing for comment regarding the reported backstage tensions and blame-shifting allegations. The incident has sparked considerable discussion about the pressures of live television broadcasting and how production teams handle inevitable on-air mistakes.
