Jamie Laing breaks his silence on Boat Race gaffe after awkwardly announcing the wrong runner-up live on air

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Jamie Laing has finally spoken up after mistakenly announcing the wrong person as the runner-up for the 2026 Boat Race.

During Channel 4’s live broadcast of the historic boat race, Made In Chelsea’s 37-year-old presenter mistakenly offered sympathy to the Cambridge University Boat Club instead of the winning Oxford team.

Jamie acknowledged the on-air mistake on Monday by posting a clip to Instagram with the caption: ‘When you accidentally get the wrong cue card on live TV 😂.’

He expressed sympathy for the Cambridge University Boat Club after their loss.

Following a quiet and puzzled reaction from the audience, he quickly apologized and offered his sympathy to the losing Oxford University Boat Club crew.

‘That’s a typo! It’s like the Oscars all over again.’ 

Jamie was reporting for Channel 4 at the landmark event, which the channel was broadcasting for the first time after securing the rights from the BBC.

Cambridge won the men’s boat race, while Oxford’s women’s team achieved their first win since 2016.

He also spoke with Louis Corrigan, the winning coxswain from Oxford’s women’s team, after the race. He immediately apologized when she accidentally used a swear word during the live broadcast.

When asked about race strategy, Corrigan explained they focused on positioning themselves well, controlling their speed and navigating the challenging water conditions effectively. They aimed to find the right balance to maximize their performance.

‘I think we did that really well and we held them at bay. What a f***ing awesome day.’

Jamie quickly responded: ‘Excuse for the language, we are celebrating it’s okay.’

Clare Balding, the presenter, had to apologize again for profanity after a Cambridge team member shouted an expletive during their winning post-match interview.

Everyone expected Cambridge to win easily, but Oxford surprisingly held their own for the first half of the race before losing ground.

The umpire repeatedly had to caution both teams for moving too close to each other while racing for the best position on the river, which was affected by strong southwest winds.

Cambridge won the annual race, finishing the four-mile, 374-yard course in 17 minutes and 56.84 seconds. They beat their rivals by 11.02 seconds, with a large crowd watching from the riverbank. This victory continues Cambridge’s recent success in the men’s race, having won seven times in the last eight years. They now lead the overall series 90 to 81.

Noam Mouelle, celebrating his fourth Boat Race victory with Cambridge, described the race as ‘amazing’ but incredibly challenging. He noted that everyone was exhausted by the midpoint, but their early preparation had paid off. The key, he said, was to avoid mistakes, and he praised it as a ‘great race’.

‘It’ll take a bit of time to realise it. The goal was to get the job done.’ 

Winning cox Sammy Houdaigui praised Oxford after the race, saying it was a great competition and acknowledging the skill of their rowers. He also expressed his pride in his own team, saying they had the right athletes for the challenge and that he really enjoyed working with them. He gave a final shout-out to Oxford for their performance.

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2026-04-06 22:33