Countryfile's Matt Baker faces backlash for remarks on Simone Biles during Olympics coverage

ok.co.uk:

Countryfile presenter Matt Baker sparked a social media frenzy with his comments about Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. The TV presenter was covering the Olympic Games for the BBC when he noted that the 27-year-old athlete had narrowly missed out on a gold medal after losing her balance on the beam.

At the time, he remarked: "Well, it just wasn't to be! C'est la vie for Simone on beam." Baker then paused the coverage to address the audience, relaying Simone's concerns about the tense atmosphere in the arena: "She's talking about the atmosphere, she's talking about people shushing - we've talked about it and the atmosphere in here is like a cauldron when those gymnasts are on." He went on to attribute her mistake to the intense pressure from the crowd, saying it might have contributed to her errors.

However, his comments didn't land well with fans, who took to social media to vent their frustration. One angry viewer tweeted: "#BBCOlympics gymnastic commentators losing their s**t about Simone Biles having cameras thrust in her face after she fell off the beam is ridiculously ironic seeing as they have basically made the entire Olympics about her and screamed like groupies at every single move she's made." One fan pointed out the irony of the Olympics gymnastics commentators focusing solely on Simone Biles, despite their complaints about media attention on her, reports the Mirror. "There's a certain irony in the #BBCOlympics gymnastics commentators complaining about the media attention on Simone Biles when she has been their sole topic of conversation throughout these #OlympicGames," they wrote.

Meanwhile, Matt has recently opened up about his back injury.The former gymnast previously admitted: "No, I can't now. I've injured.