BBC seeks webcam footie pundits

'Well, Gary, the lads gave it 110 per cent, but...'

By Jane Hoskyn • Get more from this author

Posted in Music and Media, 5th June 2006 10:37 GMT

Free whitepaper – PowerEdge M610-M710 spec sheet

Dust off your 'cams and get ready for your close-ups, armchair Lawrensons: the BBC wants your punditry. If you know your J Jenas from your A Cole and you're handy with a webcam, you can join the live debate on the Beeb's new daily show My World Cup, which starts on Tuesday 6 June.

According to the Beeb, the webcam debates will "utilise technology never before used for this purpose", allowing football fans from across the globe to interact live with Berlin-based presenter Adnan Nawaz. Viewers as far afield as Iran, Korea, China and even the Antarctic Survey base have already been signed up. If you think your webcam, your broadband connection and your mouth are up to the job, click here to apply.

There's a catch, of course. My World Cup won't be troubling Doctor Who in the ratings, because it's only shown on BBC World, the channel that's always on the telly in foreign hotels. But all is not lost: the show is streamed live online four times a day (at 10.45am, 1.30pm, 4.30pm and 9.30pm from 6 June to 7 July), so you'll have plenty of chances to get your mug on screen.

Webcam pundits will also be invited to spar with The Predictor, a Decision Technology computer that claims to predict accurate results. At the time of writing, The Predictor has Brazil as favourite to win, and thinks the Czech Republic, France and The Netherlands are the most under-rated teams. It also reckons the easiest group game will be England vs Trinidad and Tobago on 15 June, which is surely the kiss of death. You can watch all matches live on the BBC Sport website. ®

Free whitepaper – Avoiding costs from oversizing data center and network room infrastructure