Becky holds the Winter Olympic mascots.

Becky to co-host NHK program covering Winter Olympics

Saturday 23rd January, 05:48 AM JST

TOKYO —

Public broadcaster NHK announced this week that omnipresent celebrity Becky, 25, will be one of the hosts for their special highlights and information program called “Vancouver Olympics Best Selection,” which will air from their Shibuya studios during next month’s 21st Winter Olympic Games.

It’s the first time for NHK to use someone from outside the station in their Olympic coverage and the first time for Becky to commentate on the Olympics. She said: “I’m really happy to get this job and to be able to convey the inspiration that is the Olympics, an event I really love. I tend to get excited easily though so I’ll have to control myself. Plus it’s NHK, so I want to do it properly and in an adult manner.”

Becky gave figure skater Mao Asada, 19, and speed skater Miho Takagi, 15, as two examples of athletes she wanted to watch, and said: “Athletes many years younger than me are going out there to compete on the world stage, which is just amazing. They’re under all kinds of pressure, and it’s a battle with themselves. I want to see how they deal with it.”

An NHK spokesman said Becky was chosen as she is “popular with people of all ages and able to express herself well.” She will be joined by veteran announcer Saburo Kudo, 56, and Naoko Suzuki, 27.

“Vancouver Olympics Best Selection” will run from Feb 14 to 28, airing at 6.10 p.m. and again at 7.30 p.m.

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Latest 15 of 71 Total Comments Show All

AntiWeeaboo at 03:36 AM JST - 25th January

ohh this is about the OLYMPICS. I guess she's fair game then nevermind
IvanCoughalot at 11:12 AM JST - 25th January

I think it's fair enough. Most winter sports are about going downhill fast. Becky's the perfect choice.

She really is futile.
IvanCoughalot at 11:23 AM JST - 25th January

Plus it’s NHK, so I want to do it properly and in an adult manner.”

you can do something properly and in an adult manner, or you can squeak. It's either/or, love. Not both.
mokgohan at 04:46 PM JST - 25th January

Unfortunately the best winter Olympic sport of all --hockey-- will not be covered much by Japanese tv,

I agree- I remember, being here in Japan and watching Canada take gold in 2002 and running right out the door to work at 8:00 in the morning. I think it was the only game I got to watch live. People at my work knew about the win and congratulated me but I didn't see any highlights on T.V. that night; only that damn Japanese ski jumper again and again and again...

I sometimes feel like taking the sports commentators in this country aside and saying "Y'know, some people might not think you're being completely unbiased and equally fair when you shout "Gambate Nippon!" during an key moment during the competition".
roomtemperature at 05:27 PM JST - 25th January

"Unfortunately the best winter Olympic sport of all --hockey-- will not be covered much by Japanese tv, cuz their team wasn't good enough to make it."

Who says the best winter Olympic sport of all is hockey?

Moderator: Back on topic please. The subject is Becky and NHK's coverage.
goddog at 11:27 PM JST - 25th January

Sure is and Becky did great with that coverage. Just like the bowling and beach volley one. I really enjoyed watching her go at it. Good job Becky. Hope to see more of you.
OssanAmerica at 02:19 AM JST - 26th January

Short of any announcer being really too painful to look at or speaking in a totally unintelligible manner, I really don't care as to who the announcer is. With the Olympics I watch the event, not the announcer. Reading this thread though I guess I'm an exception.
bushlover at 09:33 AM JST - 27th January

Never heard of her. But I can see her giving some "sugoi" and "subarashii" comments and not much else. Who knows maybe she'll surprise us all and come out with something intelligent. But somehow I doubt it.
jason6 at 10:12 AM JST - 28th January

We can all accept that Becky/NHK will be biased towards their countrymen in the coverage, but I'd like to see at least 20% of the time devoted to other just as equally (or more) deserving athletes from other nations. Is that too much to ask? I'm sure that most Japanese would be interested or even prefer to see the international aspect, instead of the traditional "Japanese protagonist athlete crying with the winners in the background".
OssanAmerica at 12:10 PM JST - 28th January

We can all accept that Becky/NHK will be biased towards their countrymen >in the coverage, but I'd like to see at least 20% of the time devoted to >other just as equally (or more) deserving athletes from other nations. >Is that too much to ask?

Probably Yes. If Japan is anything like the United States where I'm going to be watching on NBC and I won't see anything other than speial info and highlights on certain US athletes.
therealmusashi at 01:53 PM JST - 28th January

She was only slightly annoying and weird-looking, but now she's inescapable! ...the horror...
oikawa at 10:24 AM JST - 29th January

I love the line "omnipresent celebrity, Becky" Describes her and J-celebs perfectly. Godlike, inescapable, unavoidable, devoid of noticable talent...
jerseyboy at 11:01 AM JST - 29th January

OssanAmerica -- wrong, as usual. NBC's coverage, while certainly focusing on U.S. medal hopefuls, will undoutably feature hundreds of hours of coverage of non-American athletes. If you knew anything about Japan, you'd know that the same cannot be said about NHK.
OssanAmerica at 05:34 AM JST - 30th January

As usual Wrong jerseyboy Americans are lucky if NBC does a short little info bit on a foreign athlete at all, and they would have to be super stars in their field. It's not all that different from coverage on NHK. But let me educate you even a bit more jerseyboy- ask 10 Japanese to to name some foreign Olympoic athletes and they will. See how many of them know names like Lewis or Joyner. Now try that with 10 Americans, they can't even name European athletes much less Asian ones.
brisallie at 01:42 AM JST - 4th February

Omnipresent Becky

, i love that line, because is totally truth.I like Becky, i think she's herself and nice, but she's in everywhere.She only needs to give the time on tv.