With Mark Pougatch hosting alongside Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Ian Wright, some viewers reportedly expected the programme to remain focused on the match and England’s tournament position.
The criticism centred on the decision to give Ant and Dec airtime before kick-off. The report says some viewers muted the coverage or switched away, arguing that the segment took attention from analysis of the game.
That response underlines the risk for broadcasters. A celebrity feature can widen an audience, but it can also frustrate viewers who have tuned in specifically for tactical discussion, team news and tournament context.
The reaction was not uniformly negative. The report says other viewers praised ITV’s studio set, presentation team and pundit line-up, with some describing the broadcaster’s tournament output as its best in years.
That support matters because the coverage was not built around one segment alone. Laura Woods was part of the presentation team, while the established punditry group offered a conventional football voice. For some viewers, the mix of analysis and entertainment made the coverage feel more expansive than a strictly match-focused programme.
The split appears to be less about the quality of Ant and Dec’s appearance than about placement. Before a major international fixture, even a short entertainment feature can feel intrusive if viewers are waiting for decisive football detail.
The report says England had already secured a place in the knockout stage before facing Panama, reducing the qualification pressure around the final group match. That context gave ITV more room to experiment, but it also made the editorial balance easier to scrutinise.
The next knockout-stage build-up will provide the clearest test. ITV must decide whether celebrity crossover adds energy or whether supporters want every available minute devoted to the football.