Wimbledon 2Day: BBC ridiculed for bizarre Top Gear chat show style TV coverage

The Beeb have switched up their usual highlights show – and it hasn’t gone down well
'Hip' re-brand: Clare Balding presents Wimbledon 2Day (Image: BBC)
BBC
Ben Travis1 July 2015

Wimbledon is here, bringing us two of the most exciting weeks of tennis all year.

At the end of the working day, millions will be heading home hoping to see a round-up of all the action from centre court that day – but the BBC’s newly revamped highlights show Wimbledon 2day has ditched the simple coverage for a Top Gear-esque format, involving interviews in front of a live studio audience.

Needless to say, the show has been grandly slammed on Twitter for a whole host of reasons – the silly name change (the show has previously been called Today at Wimbledon), the zoned-out crowds, and the wink-wink comedy tone.

Everyone cringed at the new title:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">'Wimbledon 2Day'!! K-razy! What on earth are BBC2 up to? tennis coverage in the style of TFI Friday. It's not working. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a>— Holly Murray (@MsHMurray) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MsHMurray/status/615605522859982849" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/MsHMurray/status/615605522859982849" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 29, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a> is really the name of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBC?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/BBC?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#BBC</a> show? "We used a number to attract kids to the show" It's not funny; this is actually bugging me.— Stephen Dixon (@stevpdixon) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/stevpdixon/status/615595908357619712" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/stevpdixon/status/615595908357619712" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 29, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">What devilry is this? Today at Wimbledon has been replaced by a programme called Wimbledon 2day??? Is nothing sacred? <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BBC" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/BBC" data-vars-event-id="c23">@BBC</a>— Jack Filose (@JackFilose) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JackFilose/status/615592229701320704" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/JackFilose/status/615592229701320704" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 29, 2015</a>

There were lots of jokes around the fictional disastrous PR deparment in BBC’s meta-spoof series W1A

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It seems <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/bbctennis" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/bbctennis" data-vars-event-id="c23">@bbctennis</a> has gone all W1A and renamed 'Today at Wimbledon' to 'Wimbledon 2day'. Oh dear. I wish I was in that meeting.— Wellyman (@Piano_Learner) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Piano_Learner/status/615601781062680576" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/Piano_Learner/status/615601781062680576" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 29, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BBC2 Wimbledon highlights are now called 'Wimbledon 2day' Perfect Curve are, like, totally nailing it brand-wise. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/Tx3HNBAr1Q" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-http://t.co/Tx3HNBAr1Q" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/Tx3HNBAr1Q</a>— Richard Marks (@RichardMlive) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RichardMlive/status/615600210371309568" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/RichardMlive/status/615600210371309568" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 29, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Calling it <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a> instead of Wimbledon Today is so W1A I keep having to check it's real— Anita Singh (@anitathetweeter) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/anitathetweeter/status/615975615422930944" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/anitathetweeter/status/615975615422930944" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

The uninterested crowd were totally laughable

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/HylandIan" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/HylandIan" data-vars-event-id="c23">@HylandIan</a> this woman, arms folded, sums up the whole programme <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/Necelyk7id" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-http://t.co/Necelyk7id" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/Necelyk7id</a>— Susan Prater (@Susan301807) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Susan301807/status/615980646134059008" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/Susan301807/status/615980646134059008" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even asked a girl in the crowd who her favourite player was and she looked lost <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a>— Tayo Ogundimu (@TayoOgundimu) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TayoOgundimu/status/615682019729776640" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/TayoOgundimu/status/615682019729776640" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">there's a brilliantly miserable woman standing behind Clare Balding on Wimbledon 2day. she looks like she wants to kill tennis.— Oliver Emanuel (@foolisholly) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/foolisholly/status/615986640004206592" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/foolisholly/status/615986640004206592" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will someone at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a> please put the girl in denim shorts out of her misery? Looks like she hates being there! <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Wimbledon</a>— Becky (@beckyeh) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/beckyeh/status/615975059040153600" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/beckyeh/status/615975059040153600" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

Celebrities at Wimbledon

1/1

And with the BBC altering the format as it goes, some are guessing what will come next

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">It's day 2 &amp; the seats are back. Perhaps it'll go: day 3 terrace back, day 4 crowd axed, day 5 Inverdale back in for Balding? <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Wimbledon2day</a>— Cyber Sloth (@cyber_sloth) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/cyber_sloth/status/615969351938797568" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/cyber_sloth/status/615969351938797568" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

What was the worst bit? Basically the whole thing

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/hashtag/wimbledon2day?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#wimbledon2day</a> please let it be the old format today and last night was a bad dream?! Inanely grinning audience? Gatsby bar? Standing? No!— Henrietta Reade (@henreade) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/henreade/status/615943370188455936" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-14436-https://twitter.com/henreade/status/615943370188455936" data-vars-event-id="c23">June 30, 2015</a>

A BBC spokesperson defended the show, saying: “We acknowledge that new formats can take some time to bed in with audiences, but we’re very pleased with the show and look forward to seeing it grow over the Championship.”

Nice try, Beeb – but it doesn’t sound like you’ve aced this one.

BBC Two, 8.30pm

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