BBC Breakfast's solid coverage of UK esports marred by presenter's final remark

Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 21/06/2025

BBC Breakfast aired a segment on esports this morning, covering MnM’s gaming house and previewing the Vainglory Spring Championship at London’s O2.
As with a lot of mainstream media’s coverage of esports, BBC looked at what esports is.
At MnM’s boot camp, they spoke to coach FrozenDawn, as well as players Rifty and Luddehz.
They also interviewed ESL UK MD James Dean, tournament admin and Team Endpoint social media manager Veracity, as well as Vainglory casters Excoundrel and Action Jackson.

Super proud of @MnMGamingUK on #bbcbreakfast this morn, theirs and @ESLUK‘s hard work to reach @lolesports CS quals https://t.co/GcZYJL2sjJ

— James Dean (@j1mco) May 19, 2017

Members of the SK Gaming and TSM Vainglory teams also shared their views on the growing esports industry.
Overall it was a good insight into the world of esports at both a national and global level.
Of course, with the BBC being the BBC, they had to get an old-fashioned view on video gaming in there, didn’t they.
At the end of the show, presenter Sally Nugent said: “I really want them to just go outside and get some fresh air.”

Esports report on BBC Breakfast. “I really want them to just go outside and get some fresh air” Come on BBC you’re better than that. pic.twitter.com/c7AVNboHRo

— James Jarvis (@James_Jarvis) May 19, 2017

Fantastic to see #esports on BBC breaksfast. Silly comment by presenter on sofa however when back to the studio.

— Doctoe (@Doctoe) May 19, 2017

You can can view the three-minute clip below, and see more on iPlayer at the 53-minute and 3-hour marks. There’s also an eight-minute clip here.

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Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025. As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late '80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.

All Posts By Dom Sacco