- This topic has 148 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 2 months ago by
.
- Posts
I’m always bemused by those who seem to believe that television presenters have some magical “talent” which isn’t simply the ability to talk and the luck to get the job in the first place. Almost anybody can do the job.
Judging by the criticism levelled at virtually every TV presenter ever, it would appear that the ability to do the job well is more elusive.
If it happens, its a good appointment imo. Haven’t watched MNF since Neville left, but it was the best football show on TV back then, and Chamberlain certainly played his part.
Ed appeared on a Final Furlong (horseracing) podcast a while back, he has strong racing links. https://soundcloud.com/emmet-kennedy/sky-sports-presenter-ed-chamberlin
Very surprised he’d give up a job as lead presenter on the biggest British channel covering the most popular football league on Earth, to front a Racing show that will spend about two thirds of its time on ITV 4, but if he’s doing their football and rugby as well, it makes more sense.
Matt Chapman next please…
If it happens, its a good appointment imo. Haven’t watched MNF since Neville left, but it was the best football show on TV back then, and Chamberlain certainly played his part.
Ed appeared on a Final Furlong (horseracing) podcast a while back, he has strong racing links. https://soundcloud.com/emmet-kennedy/sky-sports-presenter-ed-chamberlin
Very surprised he’d give up a job as lead presenter on the biggest British channel covering the most popular football league on Earth, to front a Racing show that will spend about two thirds of its time on ITV 4, but if he’s doing their football and rugby as well, it makes more sense.
Matt Chapman next please…
Nothing in tv is guaranteed it’s always a temporary job, even Sky might decide they need a football refresh and replace Ed if he is not what they want.
Racing is guaranteed on itv for a number of years and he will be getting a big wage for being main anchor and unlike Luck he can do other sports, can you imagine Luck presenting an England match, they get three presenters in one with Ed.
Chapman will be very good for alternative shows on itv sport he does football talk on Saturday morning so again they would get value for money.
Your putting down comments on itv4 forget one thing, itv4 is available on all formats and gets rating equivalent to a Sky sports channel anyway so I don’t see the problem he is going to be on a mainstream channel not behind a paywall, if that is his motivation to just be a star, which I doubt, then he is making the right move, if he wants to be the next Jeff Stelling then he should stay where he is.
I’m always bemused by those who seem to believe that television presenters have some magical “talent” which isn’t simply the ability to talk and the luck to get the job in the first place. Almost anybody can do the job.
It depends. A fluent, affable, knowledgeable person might sit comfortably on The Morning Line couch and look professional. People like Nick Luck – deep knowledge, eloquent, quick-thinking, cool under pressure are rare.
Huge difference between sitting chatting and interviewing a big name at a Festival meeting, wile listening to the PA/watching the screen, listening to the director through the earpiece talking, perhaps about something completely different from what you are currently questioning your interviewee about (bearing in mind you should, through all this, be paying close attention to what that person is saying, anticipating how he or she might answer the next question, so try to find another way of asking it and projecting how that answer might lead you…perhaps then thinking three or four questions/permutation of questions ahead. And through all this you must appear smiling and unruffled.
If Luck doesn’t get an ITV job, he will be very much missed by many, I suspect. His misfortune is not having been blessed with much charisma, but I can live with that given everything else he brings to his job.
Whoever is on TV, he/she will be liked/disliked in the same way you like avocados and I don’t. But whether you like Luck or not, don’t dismiss him or any fine ‘anchor’ by saying the job is easy.
‘Simply’ talking direct to a camera is very difficult, never mind all the other issues needing dealt with. Here’s a wee trial for those who think it’s easy: go and get a bottle and turn it so you can see the base. Set it on a shelf at eye level and look directly at it then talk non-stop for a minute to it about racing in an easygoing, smiling natural manner. 1.01 you are a blubbering wreck come time up.
I don’t have Sky so have not had exposure to Ed Chamberlin but having now Youtubed a few clips of him in action he comes across as a personable, professional, well-spoken and knowledgeable gent; easy on the eye too with a penchant for lambswool sweaters, which is a plus. I feel he and Nick Luck would meld well
Having experimented with Skype and found the whole experience tongue-tyingly terrifying I would agree that yer average punter down the pub is not capable of fronting a TV racing programme even if he does know his speedfigures from his sectionals
We will not know if chamberlain is the right appointment till we see how he does but I am surprised they didn’t go for a totally racing person. As long as we get a good look at the horses in the parade ring and a few snippets of form of the leading contenders. We get so little of the horses themselves on c4 it would be nice to concentrate the reason we watch horse racing and for most people it’s the horses themselves.
I am surprised they didn’t go for a totally racing person.
But he is a racing person! It’s just so happened that he’s been covering football in recent years, at which, so Sky football watchers say, he’s pretty good.
Why on earth is having a broad sporting knowledge a drawback?
It might make it easier for him to communicate the intricacies and delights of the sport to a wider audience, something that one-trick ponies like Wilson, Luck, Lysaght et al have singularly failed to do, or even attempted.
Rumours being made that John Hunt might be the main commentator for itv, not sure he would want to commit to it though he does a lot of other commentaries ie swimming.
I’m always bemused by those who seem to believe that television presenters have some magical “talent” which isn’t simply the ability to talk and the luck to get the job in the first place. Almost anybody can do the job.
It depends. A fluent, affable, knowledgeable person might sit comfortably on The Morning Line couch and look professional. People like Nick Luck – deep knowledge, eloquent, quick-thinking, cool under pressure are rare.
Huge difference between sitting chatting and interviewing a big name at a Festival meeting, wile listening to the PA/watching the screen, listening to the director through the earpiece talking, perhaps about something completely different from what you are currently questioning your interviewee about (bearing in mind you should, through all this, be paying close attention to what that person is saying, anticipating how he or she might answer the next question, so try to find another way of asking it and projecting how that answer might lead you…perhaps then thinking three or four questions/permutation of questions ahead. And through all this you must appear smiling and unruffled.
If Luck doesn’t get an ITV job, he will be very much missed by many, I suspect. His misfortune is not having been blessed with much charisma, but I can live with that given everything else he brings to his job.
Whoever is on TV, he/she will be liked/disliked in the same way you like avocados and I don’t. But whether you like Luck or not, don’t dismiss him or any fine ‘anchor’ by saying the job is easy.
‘Simply’ talking direct to a camera is very difficult, never mind all the other issues needing dealt with. Here’s a wee trial for those who think it’s easy: go and get a bottle and turn it so you can see the base. Set it on a shelf at eye level and look directly at it then talk non-stop for a minute to it about racing in an easygoing, smiling natural manner. 1.01 you are a blubbering wreck come time up.
I suspect the Americans (NBC) will be happy to take Luck on for some of their shows. They seem happy to take him on during the Breeders Cup and does a fine job of it. He will always have Racing UK so it is not like it is the end of the world for him. If he is getting the abuse (some of it is abuse) from his Channel 4 work , then it just ain’t worth it for him. He would be welcomed back on any horse racing tv show
I don’t have Sky so have not had exposure to Ed Chamberlin but having now Youtubed a few clips of him in action he comes across as a personable, professional, well-spoken and knowledgeable gent; easy on the eye too with a penchant for lambswool sweaters, which is a plus. I feel he and Nick Luck would meld well
Having experimented with Skype and found the whole experience tongue-tyingly terrifying I would agree that yer average punter down the pub is not capable of fronting a TV racing programme even if he does know his speedfigures from his sectionals
He regularly has a piece on the sporting life website on racing
I am surprised they didn’t go for a totally racing person.
But he is a racing person! It’s just so happened that he’s been covering football in recent years, at which, so Sky football watchers say, he’s pretty good.
Why on earth is having a broad sporting knowledge a drawback?
It might make it easier for him to communicate the intricacies and delights of the sport to a wider audience, something that one-trick ponies like Wilson, Luck, Lysaght et al have singularly failed to do, or even attempted.
He has a tipster/review article every weekend on the sporting life website. Tends to be a good read
Rumours being made that John Hunt might be the main commentator for itv, not sure he would want to commit to it though he does a lot of other commentaries ie swimming.
Whatever happened to Jim McGrath (the Aussie not the lad on Channel 4)?
Whatever happened to Jim McGrath (the Aussie not the lad on Channel 4)?
Not sure if serious. Aussie Jim became a laughing stock at the end of the BBC’s coverage and was binned/retired from the Racetech roster shortly after.
He was also axed by The Telegraph in 2014.
What I meant by a totally racing person was someone like Julian Wilson who use to present the BBC racing. Posh the same as luck but who came across as someone far more knowledgeable due to him owning horses and reputedly a very successful punter. Gary obrien is the only guy I can think of right now. I’m sure chamberlain is a good presenter but unlikely to he as knowledgeable as a few others.
But whether you like Luck or not, don’t dismiss him or any fine ‘anchor’ by saying the job is easy.
I quite like Luck, as it goes- as you say, he’s a very professional presenter and knows his stuff.
Where my opinion differs from yours is in your apparent belief that there is something superhuman about being a television presenter. Of course, some people will be more professional than others and it takes years to polish one’s presentation skills but there is nothing mystical about being a talking head on television. Plenty of people could do what Luck and others do; my gripe is that very few ever get the opportunity, due to the old boys’ network.
I haven’t criticized C4 Racing for a while but boy today’s coverage was dull. Luck was his usual smug self sitting with the crowd of women at the start of the show (why??) just looked cringing, and what is Channel 4’s predilection of endlessly using Mick Fitzgerald. I so hope ITV do things a lot better
PS I had an awful dream the other night that Tanya Stevenson was part of the new ITV racing team, I hope it was just a nightmare!
- Total Posts 2553
I’m pretty sure that back in the 80s and/ or the 90s, every meeting from Ascot was covered by the BBC. Or have I gone mad?
Probably the latter
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.