Football pundit and former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has spoken for the first time about the alarming moment fellow broadcaster Laura Woods collapsed live on air during an ITV broadcast.
The On-Air Incident at St Mary's
The worrying event occurred on December 4, 2025, as Woods was presenting the build-up to the England women's national team's friendly match against Ghana at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium. The 38-year-old presenter suddenly fell ill and collapsed while on camera.
Quick-thinking pundits Ian Wright and Anita Asante caught Woods as she fell, preventing a more serious injury. ITV's broadcast swiftly cut away to a shot of the teams warming up on the pitch, but viewers could still hear Wright and Asante comforting their colleague before the feed cut to an advertisement break.
Wright's First-Hand Account and Woods's Recovery
Wright discussed the incident publicly for the first time on the popular football podcast The Overlap, alongside hosts Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, and former Lioness Jill Scott. When asked for an update on Woods's condition, Wright provided reassuring news.
"She's fine. I got a message from her this morning," Wright stated. "It was worrying at the time but she's fine. People have been really nice about it. I'm glad she's okay."
Jill Scott added context, revealing that Woods believed she was suffering from a virus. "She said that she thinks she's got a virus but it must have been horrible for that to happen, on live TV as well," Scott said.
Light-Hearted Support and Public Reassurance
The podcast panel took a characteristically light-hearted approach to the serious event, insisting that humour was what their colleague would want during her recovery. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane joked with Wright, "I'm guessing she's not the first woman to fall into your arms Ian. That's just your knack."
Keane added, "She's okay and that's all that matters, that's the most important thing, obviously. You'll get a knighthood or an award for that, Wrighty."
Reassurance also came from Woods's fiancé, former Love Island contestant Adam Collard, who told concerned viewers that she was 'ok' and 'with the right people' following the incident.
Woods herself later addressed her followers directly on Instagram. She wrote, "Gosh that was a bit weird. Sorry to worry everyone, I'm ok, the wonderful paramedics at Saints have said it's probably a virus, just need a bit of rest and hydration."
She expressed embarrassment about the very public nature of her collapse, stating, "I'm really embarrassed that happened on TV," while extending a "big thank you to my colleagues at ITV who have really looked after me tonight." She specifically thanked "Wrighty and Neets [Anita Asante] for catching me."
Following the incident, fellow sports presenter Katie Shanahan stepped in at late notice to cover the remainder of the broadcast. Shanahan informed viewers that Woods was "in very good hands" and that the entire team was wishing her a "speedy recovery."
