BBC announce Winter Olympics pundits line-up as Clare Balding joined by big names | Other | Sport
The BBC have confirmed their pundit line-up for the Winter Olympics, which gets underway at the start of next month. It will be the first edition of the Games to be held across two cities, with some events taking place in Milan and others in clusters around Cortina and the Valtellina and Fiemme valleys in north-east Italy. The opening ceremony will be on February 6, while the closing ceremony is pencilled in for February 22.
More than 450 hours of live sport will be shown across the BBC throughout the Games. There will be two streams of live daytime action from Italy, with BBC One and BBC Two airing coverage from 9am to 10pm. The other stream, Olympics Extra, will be on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 8am to 11pm each day.
Clare Balding will lead the broadcaster’s coverage of the Games alongside fellow presenters Hazel Irvine and Jeanette Kwakye. They will be joined by a line-up of expert pundits, including two-time skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold and curling champion Vicky Wright.
Gladiators star Montell Douglas will also be involved, with the BBC explaining that she will bring her “elite insight and energy to give viewers a fresh perspective.” Originally a sprinter, she represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics in 2008.
Douglas later took up bobsleigh and competed at the Winter Olympics in 2022, making her one of just two athletes to have taken part in both of the Games hosted in Beijing, China.
Other pundits will include figure skating champion Robin Cousins and Olympic bronze medallists John Jackson and Jenny Jones.
JJ Chalmers will be on hand for live coverage of curling, bobsleigh and skeleton while Chemmy Alcott and Ed Leigh feature among the team of commentators.
These include Steve Cram, Logan Gray, Jackie Lockhart, Graham Bell, Matt Chilton, Tim Warwood, Simon Brotherton, Wilf O’Reilly, Katherine Downes, Seth Bennett, Kent Simpson, John Hunt, Rob Walker and Andy Stevenson.
Meanwhile, content creator Max Balegde and media personality Chris Hughes will be tasked with capturing behind-the-scenes moments, gaining exclusive access to the athletes and their families to shine a spotlight on the human element of the Games.
Alongside influencer Charley Marlowe, they have filmed a series of digital profile pieces for the iPlayer service, giving an insight into Team GB’s preparations for the Winter Olympics.
The reporting team is completed by the additions of Sarah Mulkerrins and David McDaid.
Commenting on the line-up, BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski said: “The Winter Olympics spotlight the world’s most elite winter athletes as they push the boundaries of speed, precision and excellence across snow and ice, and BBC Sport can’t wait to bring audiences all the very best action and medal moments straight from Milan‑Cortina.
“Our expert line‑up of international winter sport stars, combined with our unmissable coverage, will ensure that the Italy 2026 Olympic Winter Games take pride of place in what promises to be an unforgettable year of sport.”
Live coverage of the Winter Olympics will also be available on BBC Radio 5 Live, with Katie Smith and Maz Farookhi
