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Joe Wicks at war with British Airways as they're unable to show England game on flight

Fitness star Joe Wicks has issued a plea to British Airways over the upcoming England semi-final match in the World Cup, but was met with rejection until Kirstie Allsopp offered a solution

[Joe Wicks pleads with British Airways]

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Joe Wicks pleads with British Airways(Image: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Joe Wicks took to social media with a plea for British Airways to show the upcoming England World Cup semi-final. The Three Lions are set to face off against Argentina for a spot in the final against Spain, but those on Joe's flight will not be able to watch the game.

It appears that Joe's air travel clashes with the match's kick-off and the 40-year-old Body Coach sent a message to British Airways over X, asking them if he would be able to watch along during his flight. He wrote: "Hey @British_Airways, will I be able to watch the England match on my flight tomorrow?"

Sadly, the social media team were quick to respond with a 'no'. "Hi Joe," they wrote. "For legal reasons, we're unable to stream live sporting events, unfortunately. However, I'm sure the crew will keep you informed of the score throughout your flight."

[Joe Wicks tweeted British Airways about the England match]

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Joe Wicks tweeted British Airways about the England match(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

[He asked if they would be showing the match during his flight]

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He asked if they would be showing the match during his flight(Image: X)

Devastated by the news, Joe commented three crying emojis under the reply. But loads of social media users jumped in with suggestions for how Joe could circumvent the rules - including British TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp.

The Location, Location, Location presenter said: "Unless something has changed you won't be able to [watch the match live]. Get a VPN and listen on Radio 5 live, also the FOTMOB app is great."

She then added a little invitation of her own, encouraging Joe to swap his flight for an earlier one: "Or come to Atlanta with me, I just bought a ticket and I'm waiting to board my flight."

[Kirstie Allsopp in a green dress in front of a christmas tree]

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Kirstie Allsopp offered a solution(Image: Channel 4)

Many fans also questioned what the "legal reasons" that British Airways referred to were. Some pointed out that other airlines, such as Emirates, show the matches. Though British Airways have not confirmed what those reasons are, some have suggested that they don't have the broadcast licensing rights to show the match over international airspace.

In a response to someone else on X, the social media team suggested that a passenger use the in-flight wifi to follow the game. "We're sorry to hear you're disappointed that you're unable to watch the World Cup," they wrote. "Unfortunately, we do not show live sporting events as part of our in flight entertainment. If your flight has WiFi available, you may be able to use this to follow the game."

[England will play Argentina on Sunday]

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England will play Argentina on Sunday(Image: JON OLAV NESVOLD/BILDBYRN/Shutterstock)

England are set to face Argentina at 8pm UK time on Sunday 19 July at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, USA. There were some concerns about the match, as weather forecasts have suggested that thunderstorms could hit Atlanta on matchday, but a spokesperson said the weather would not be an issue, as the venue has a retractable roof.

"Since the stadium is covered, the match is not weather-dependent so it will be played as scheduled," a stadium spokesperson said. "No, it wont be delayed, the game will start as planned regardless of weather.

"We will do everything we can to ensure the safety of fans, but it wont delay the start of the game if fans are still entering the stadium or are delayed entering due to weather conditions."

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