BBC presenter Gabby Logan has revealed she faced days of abuse and death threats after referring to Kate Middleton by her maiden name rather than her official title, the Princess of Wales, on a podcast. The incident occurred during an episode of The Sports Agents podcast, where Logan joined fellow presenters Mark Chapman and Nedum Onuoha to discuss celebrities spotted at the World Cup, currently held across the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
What happened on the podcast
During the conversation, Chapman mentioned being puzzled by some well-known faces during his broadcasts. He said: "Occasionally on some live games that I've done, when you do the build-up and occasionally they've then cut someone up in the crowd. And I've looked at it and thought, I've absolutely no idea. And then they'll tell me in my ear who it is. And I'm thinking, I still have absolutely no idea who that is. I can't mention it in case I pronounce it wrong, or heaven forbid, look out of touch."
Logan then shared her own experience: "I hate them doing that and not knowing, though, don't you? Like, I then kind of want to know why we're cutting this person? If I don't know who they are, please tell me so that I can. I did know this person when it was cut up once at a rugby game. It was Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales, but I didn't call her that. I said, 'Oh, Kate Middleton is in the house'. Can I tell you how many days of abuse I got from mainly American-based accounts telling me that basically I needed to be beheaded because I was anti-Royal. I 'didn't realise how incredible this woman was'. I mean, she has got a loyal fan base."
The fallout and royal fan reactions
Logan's comment sparked a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, from royal fans who accused her of being anti-Royal. The abuse reportedly lasted for days and came primarily from American-based accounts. Logan noted the Princess of Wales's loyal fan base, which reacted strongly to the perceived slight.
Kate Middleton's presence at sporting events
The Princess of Wales has been a regular attendee at major sporting events, including Wimbledon and the World Cup. In 2013, she was unable to attend Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory as she was heavily pregnant with Prince George. She later told former BBC sports presenter Sue Barker in the documentary Our Wimbledon: "I was very heavily pregnant with George so I wasn't able to turn up. I know but even still. I was sort of, 'Maybe I could go' but the doctors were like 'No.' I wrote to [Andy Murray] afterwards saying sorry for not being there, but huge congratulations."
Celebrity-packed World Cup
This year's World Cup has been among the most celebrity-packed tournaments in recent history. Cameras have frequently captured famous faces in the stands, including Hollywood A-listers Salma Hayek, Tom Cruise, Owen Wilson, and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Hip-hop legends Jay Z and Travis Scott, as well as American football icon Tom Brady, have also been spotted.
