Jamie Laing breaks silence on awkward Channel 4 Boat Race gaffe as he addresses wrong winner slip-up

Alex Davies
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:54:12 +0000

Jamie Laing took to Instagram on Monday evening to address his embarrassing mix-up during Channel 4's Boat Race coverage at the weekend.

During Saturday's broadcast, Mr Laing mistakenly offered his sympathies to Cambridge after they had actually won the men's race.

"Commiserations go to the losing crew: Cambridge University Boat Club," he announced, before being met with awkward silence from spectators.

He swiftly corrected himself, joking: "That's a typo! It's like the Oscars all over again."

The 37-year-old Made in Chelsea star posted a video clip of the incident on his Instagram on Monday night.

Breaking his silence on the incident, he mocked: "When you get handed the wrong cue card on live TV," alongside a laughing emoji.

He also addressed some of the criticism he faced following his debut as Boat Race host.

The Telegraph columnist Alan Tyers was just one prominent critic who penned a piece in the publication titled: "Watching Jamie Laing present the Boat Race was behind-the-sofa cringe."

Mr Laing attempted to see the funny side of the furore, as he shared the article along with his own caption: "Thanks for the feedback Alan," again, followed by a laughing emoji.

Meanwhile, X was awash with disgruntled viewers who felt Mr Laing's slip-up was evidence that broadcasters should use qualified personnel for specific sporting events rather than a recognisable name.

"This is what happens when you give presenting jobs to random has been reality tv stars with no background in journalism," one X user fumed. "There’s literally no point going into journalism if you’re working class anymore." (sic)

A second echoed: "Just a thought: Perhaps broadcasters should use trained journalists/presenters rather than reality TV stars for live sporting events."

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"Could have made a really nice national TV 'foot in the door' gig for a sports journalist with live broadcasting experience, looking to progress their career instead of 'foot in mouth' for a reality telly 'celeb'," another criticised.

"Note to all broadcasters: Incompetent reality tv stars makes sport look s**t," a fourth complained, while a fifth pointed out: "While there were doubtless many professional freelance sports broadcasters sat at home without a gig that day." (sic)

The criticism came during Channel 4's first coverage of the prestigious event after acquiring the broadcasting rights from the BBC.

Mr Laing also found himself apologising for colourful language during a post-race interview with Oxford women's cox Louis Corrigan.

After steering her crew to their first triumph in a decade, an elated Ms Corrigan told the presenter: "What a f***ing awesome day!"

The host quickly interjected: "Excuse for the language, we are celebrating, it's okay."

Ms Corrigan raised a hand to the camera in apology for the outburst.

Despite the live television mishap, Mr Laing recovered smoothly and continued his conversation with the cox about her familiarity with the Thames course.

Co-presenter Clare Balding was later forced to issue a separate apology when a Cambridge rower shouted an expletive during their victory interview.

Cambridge's men extended their recent dominance of the event, claiming their seventh victory in the past eight years.

The Light Blues crossed the finish line 11.02 seconds clear of their rivals, completing the four-mile course from Putney to Mortlake in 17 minutes and 56 seconds.

Challenging conditions on the Thames, with strong southwesterly winds creating choppy water, forced the umpire to warn both crews multiple times for drifting.

Oxford's women provided the day's other headline result, ending a ten-year drought by defeating Cambridge for the first time since 2016.

Thousands of spectators lined the riverbank to watch the 171st edition of the historic contest.