Dermot O’Leary found himself at the centre of an awkward Soccer Aid moment after viewers claimed he appeared to “snub” Olympic legend Usain Bolt during ITV’s live coverage.
The This Morning presenter, 53, was fronting the charity football match alongside Alex Scott at London Stadium on Sunday, where England beat World XI 3-2 in a dramatic contest for Unicef.
But after the final whistle, cameras followed Dermot into the dressing room as England’s stars celebrated their victory. As he walked in, Dermot cheerfully said, “It’s pretty good in here,” while players chanted around him.
Usain Bolt, who was serving as World XI FC co-manager, appeared to hold out his hand for a handshake. However, Dermot seemed to turn away at that exact moment, leaving the sprinting icon smiling as the presenter greeted someone else nearby instead.
The clip quickly spread on TikTok, with fans rushing to comment on the uncomfortable exchange. One viewer joked, “Dermot don’t like Bolt,” while another quipped, “Bolt was too slow.”
Despite the online reaction, it seemed far more likely that Dermot was simply caught up in the chaos of a live broadcast and trying to keep the post-match interviews moving.
Bolt appeared to brush off the moment, while the night itself proved a huge success. Soccer Aid raised a record-breaking £16.5million, bringing the event’s total over 20 years to more than £137million.
On the pitch, England took a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Damson Idris and a brilliant brace from Jermain Defoe, who became Soccer Aid’s all-time leading scorer. World XI fought back late through Tim Cahill and Michael Essien, but England held on to win 3-2.
Robbie Williams, who co-founded Soccer Aid with Jonathan Wilkes, remained heavily involved, helping coach England and performing at half-time.
