The BBC's Blunder: Mark Williams Calls Out Nationality Gaffe

Mark Williams calls out the BBC for labelling him as English during their World Championship coverage, sparking a humorous exchange on social media.

The BBC’s Blunder: Mark Williams Calls Out Nationality Gaffe

The World Snooker Championship has seen its fair share of dramatic moments, but none as embarrassing as the BBC’s recent blunder. Welsh snooker ace Mark Williams, a three-time champion, took to social media to call out the BBC for labelling him as English during their World Championship coverage.

The Welsh dragon proudly waves high

Williams, known as the ‘Welsh Potting Machine’, was leading last year’s semi-finalist Si Jiahui 5-4 in their first session when he noticed the mistake. The BBC’s coverage flashed up Monday’s scores, which also saw Shaun Murphy defeat Lyu Haotian and Joe O’Connor pull off a massive upset over Mark Selby. However, Williams was given the same flag and nationality as Englishmen Murphy, Selby, and O’Connor.

‘I’m not English, I’m Welsh!’ Williams’ tweet read, accompanied by two emojis covering its face, suggesting he was mortified by the BBC’s gaffe.

A snooker table awaits the next shot

Williams has been a dominant force in the sport, not missing out on the second round since 2017. Against Si, he faced one of the toughest first-round draws in the competition and managed to secure a narrow lead going into the second session.

Mark Williams in action

The BBC’s mistake may have been a small one, but it’s a reminder that even the biggest broadcasters can make errors. For Williams, it’s back to business as usual, focusing on the game and leaving the nationality mix-ups to the commentators.

The snooker balls await the next shot