Channel 4 was forced to apologise for swearing during its debut coverage of the annual Boat Race on Saturday.
The broadcaster began its coverage of the Oxford vs Cambridge boat race today after securing a five-year exclusive rights deal that ended the BBC’s long-standing association with the event.
The iconic annual event took place along a stretch of the River Thames, drawing in crowds of spectators along the banks from Putney to Mortlake.
But the broadcast was not without incident, as BBC Boat Race veteran Clare Balding and reality TV star Jamie Lang were both forced to issue on-air apologies for swearing.
Oxford cox Louis Corrigan exclaimed: "What a f****** awesome day", in reference to the women’s victory, prompting Laing to apologise to viewers at home, with Balding quickly following suit by saying sorry for the inappropriate language.
Later, following Cambridge’s win in the men’s race, the words “Let’s f***ing go” could be heard in the background during the post-race interview. Balding once again apologised.
Oxford's women delivered a standout performance today, ending a nine-year losing streak to defeat Cambridge by a five-length margin.
Meanwhile, Cambridge’s men continued their winning streak, securing their fourth consecutive victory today with a four-length margin.
The University of Cambridge continues to lead the historical series in both categories: 89–81 in the men's race and 49–31 in the women's.
The men’s race was first held in 1829 following a challenge between school friends from the two universities, before becoming an annual fixture in 1856.
