Ortis Deley: A Lesson In Live TV

THE Gadget Show presenter can now add YouTube sensation to his CV after his toe curling attempt to present the World Athletics Championships live from Daegu in South Korea.

Manchester has of course had a long and proud tradition in live sports journalism with maybe our finest moment being Kenneth Wolstenholme’s ‘they thinks its all over - it is now' in 1966.

Deley probably couldn’t believe his luck back in the 90s, when he appeared as a contestant on Blind Date and was subsequently plucked from obscurity to go onto acting (he appeared in Derailed alongside Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston) and presenting (he began presenting children’s TV but is now better known for the Gadget Show).

Unfortunately, live TV isn’t always as easy with voices in both ears, the pressure to get it right first time and in Deley’s case, being unfamiliar with the subject.

Manchester has of course had a long and proud tradition in live sports journalism with maybe our finest moment being Worsley-born Kenneth Wolstenholme’s ‘they thinks its all over - it is now' in 1966. Deley proved how badly it can go wrong when you're unprepared. Channel 4 clearly threw him in at the deep end and thus we watched him through our fingers as he frantically paddled like a young puppy.

Deley is yet to speak about his first experience of live presenting although he did post the following comment on his Twitter page (@OrtisDeley) last week: ‘Now THAT was a long day! Thanks for all your messages today: the good and the harsh ;o) Goodnight from Daegu.’

He did of course mean to end that Tweet with: “Jessica Ennis. Goodnight.”

Watch and weep for him people...