World Cup 2022: How to change the commentators on BBC One

World Cup 2022: How to change the commentators on BBC One: A detail of a BBC Sport microphone before the FA Women's Super League match between Everton FC and Manchester United at Walton Hall Park on October 30, 2022 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
(Image credit: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

For World Cup 2022, BBC One have assembled commentators from the very top tier… according to some.

You can't please them all, can you? Gone are the days of Jon Motson and Barry Davies, almost unanimously popular staples of the Beeb's broadcasting team. Not everyone's a fan of the currently crop of commentators, while the pundits and co-commentators often trend on Twitter in the United Kingdom as much as some of the stars on show.

Well, guess what? There's the open to change that. Here's how to switch the commentary team during this tournament and get the team you want and get the 5 Live crew.

How to change the World Cup 2022 commentators on BBC One

Jermaine Jenas

Jermaine Jenas is on commentary for the England matches on BBC One (Image credit: PA)

Ahh, the red button. It had so much promise, didn't it? But most of us haven't used ours for years. 

Now you can. The World Cup has the option to switch the commentators from the BBC One line-up to the BBC 5 Live team. Just press the button and scroll along to get the team you wish. There is a 30-second delay, though – so bear that mind. 

Alternative commentaries are nothing new to the Beeb, either. At Euro 2016, Radio 2 presenter Scott Mill was on comms as an option with sound effects for specific players, while at the World Cup two years before, Chris Moyles – then of the Radio 1 breakfast show, now of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here – partook in the fun. 

If you're looking for a new commentary team, the radio version of the narration actually does have its advantages. Not only do they sound far more excited about everything than their television colleagues – they have to be, since their audience can't hear what's going on – it's actually a legitimate option for while you're working. If you're not paying full attention, they go into much more detail on the radio. 

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.