Overview
- A BBC announcer, identified in coverage as Guy Mowbray, misnamed Pharrell Williams on air saying “I think that’s AKA Rocky, or A$AP Rocky, sorry” before correcting himself.
- The error occurred when stadium cameras cut to Pharrell at the MetLife Stadium crowd during the World Cup final, a match that featured both Pharrell and A$AP Rocky in attendance on Sunday.
- Video clips of the moment were widely shared on social platforms and picked up by entertainment outlets, driving rapid viral attention and a mix of ridicule and serious complaints from viewers.
- Reporters noted at least one other celebrity ID slip during the same broadcast when a commentator briefly called Matt Damon “Brad Pitt,” and multiple outlets have aggregated the clips.
- Coverage says the star-studded crowd made quick identification harder, the commentator is a long-serving BBC voice, and no formal BBC correction beyond the on-air apology has been reported.