BBC issue statement after Wimbledon pundit appointment sparks outrage

The BBC has addressed the concerns raised after announcing Nick Kyrgios as a pundit for Wimbledon over the forthcoming fortnight. The Australian tennis star is slated to offer his insights on the tournament for six out of the 14 days, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy among viewers.

Kyrgios, who was the runner-up in 2022, won't be competing this year due to ongoing injury rehabilitation and will instead join the commentary team. His appointment has come under fire following his guilty plea to assaulting his former girlfriend Chiara Passari in Canberra in 2021, although he did not receive a criminal conviction.

Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the women and equalities committee, expressed her outrage at the BBC's decision: "The BBC should hang its head in shame at this appointment," she declared. "It's a disgrace and shows the utter contempt our national broadcaster has towards women."

She continued to criticise the corporation by saying, "Not content with consistently underpaying their own female staff and forcing out women once they hit a certain age, they now bring a man who admitted assaulting a woman on board for Wimbledon."

Often dubbed the 'bad boy of tennis', Kyrgios has accumulated numerous fines for his conduct during matches and has only played one competitive game since October 2022. He will be providing expert analysis at Wimbledon, reports the Express.

In response to the backlash, the BBC confirmed that they have "received complaints from people who are unhappy that Nick Kyrgios will be employed on our coverage of Wimbledon 2024" and have issued a statement addressing these complaints.

"As a current and high profile player, Nick Kyrgios will provide insight and analysis of the action on the court from his experience in the game," said the BBC in response to concerns about his appointment.

"We are in no way condoning his cited previous actions or behaviours, on and off the court, and he is employed to share his views on tennis only. He has provided similar services to other major sports broadcasters in recent months."

"The legal process he was involved in has concluded, is well documented, and he has spoken about it publicly."

In Canberra, where Kyrgios resides, a magistrate chose not to record a conviction against the 27 year old, categorising the common assault during an argument with his former girlfriend in January 2021 as 'stupidity' and 'frustration', rather than premeditated.

The court was informed that Kyrgios had pushed his ex-girlfriend to the ground during the dispute.

A psychologist's report presented to the court highlighted that Kyrgios had battled severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and insomnia, stating that he had experienced major depressive episodes and had resorted to alcohol and drugs to manage, which led to reckless and impulsive behaviour.