Most disliked World Cup pundit revealed as BBC and ITV flooded with complaints | Football | Sport
An ITV analyst has been named as the most disliked World Cup pundit currently on our screens, according to a new study. The broadcaster has splashed the cash on several big-name guests for the tournament, alongside a swanky studio in the heart of New York City.
The likes of Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright have been joined by a star-studded group of fellow pundits, including Juan Mata, Patrick Vieira, Ange Postecoglou and Duncan Ferguson. Like many channels, ITV have also employed a referee analyst with Christina Unkel taking on that responsibility.
She is a former FIFA official, serving internationally and in professional domestic leagues in the United States. However, her expertise hasn’t gone down well among World Cup fans on social media.
A new study conducted by British Gambler found that Unkel is the most disliked pundit currently on TV, with viewers far from impressed.
Using media intelligence platform Meltwater, the research analysed thousands of online conversations surrounding every BBC and ITV pundit during the tournament’s opening 11 days.
The study measured the proportion of positive and negative sentiment attached to each personality, with Unkel topping the negativity rankings.
She was given a negativity rating of 68 per cent, which was considerably higher than any other pundits included in the research.
Ferguson ranked second with a 56 per cent negativity rating, while Karen Carney (51 per cent) and Emma Hayes (41 per cent) also featured prominently among the most criticised pundits
The BBC punditry team, which includes the likes of Wayne Rooney, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Joe Hart, generally received a more favourable reception from viewers.
Interestingly, former France striker Olivier Giroud recorded the highest positive sentiment of any pundit in the study with a 48 per cent rating.
That is despite him being widely criticised on social media, with some fans even urging the BBC to sack him before the knockout stages.
Darren Cann, another referee analyst, was the least popular BBC pundit with a 42 per cent negativity rating, while Danny Murphy (35 per cent) also proved divisive among viewers.
