Channel 4 has dropped Ortis Deley as the main presenter of the World Athletics Championships in South Korea following hundreds of complaints.
A spokesman confirmed it had “scaled back” his appearances, but that he would remain on air. Deley, best known for presenting Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, struggled with the live broadcasts.
Footage of his numerous embarrassing on-air gaffes has gone viral via the internet, and have recieved thousands of hits on Youtube.
Channel 4 defended the appointment of the inexperienced Deley, saying ‘it is part of our mandate to give opportunities to new presenters’.
Deley, who had limited experience of sports broadcasting, had difficulty with the pronunciation of athletes’ and pundits’ names and the demands of live television, such as links to commercial breaks and programme segments.
He will be replaced by Rick Edwards, who previously fronted the channel’s world athletics highlights programmes.
Like Deley – formerly a presenter on CBBC – Edwards is best known as a presenter of C4’s teen strand T4.
Channel 4 reportedly ignored the advice of their production companies, IMG Sports Media and Sunset+Vine, who pleaded with them to appoint a seasoned professional, according to the Daily Mail.
The station has admitted that they made the wrong decision to have Deley anchoring the live coverage, but still intends to look for fresh talent to present the London 2012 Paralympics.
“Channel 4 is committed to developing new presenting talent and this extends to our coverage of sporting events,” their spokeswoman added .
“Ortis Deley’s role in Korea covering the world athletics has been scaled back but he will continue to be on air for the duration of the competition.”
It is the first time the championships have been shown on Channel 4, after 27 years on the BBC.
Olympic champion Michael Johnson and former British athletes Dean Macey, Katharine Merry and Iwan Thomas are among the 10 commentators fronting C4’s coverage.
The channel will broadcast the Paralympics for the first time next year.
