French handballers strip a journalist half naked on live TV

You would think being a sports journalist would carry few risks.

It's not as though reporters are putting their lives on the line covering wars or getting a little too close to violent demonstrations

And after a team or an athlete has won something the atmosphere is usually a joyful one as the inevitable questions will be trotted out about "How do you feel?" "What did you think of the game?" and "How are you going to celebrate?"

But among the obvious euphoria, the unpredictable can happen, as BFM TV journalist, Nicolas Jamain discovered while trying to interview two members of the gold-winning men's handball team at the London Olympics last weekend.

French handballers Nikola Karabatic (left) and Xavier Barachet help BFM TV reporter Nicolas Jamain bare his chest live (screenshot BFM TV)

Jamain, the channel's special correspondent during the games in London, was trying his best to remain "professional" in front team members, Nikola Karabatic and Xavier Barachet, at Le Club France the evening after Les Experts had beaten Sweden in a closely contested final 22-21 to retain their gold medal.


Somehow though things didn't quite go as Jamain planned because as he tried to pose that award-winning question to both of the players as to how it felt to win a gold medal (duh) they proceeded to pull at his jacket and shirt, leaving him almost completely topless.

Jamain persisted in spite of the jeering and cheering in the background, taking it all with good humour and finally getting both men to calm down enough to be able to have them thank their fans back in France.

It was, as the anchor back in the Paris studio said at the end of the report, an example of the delight everyone had at Les Experts winning.

And bravo to Jamain for managing to hold it all together.

Another magic moment thanks to live TV.



Nikola Karabatic et Xavier Barachet déshabillent... par rmcsport