The coronavirus lockdown means that many of us have more time on our hands than we’re used to. This is definitely the case for sports commentator Nick Heath.
For Heath, the COVID-19 pandemic means that his work as a sports commentator has dried up – but the journalist has decided to use this time to help keep everyone else entertained.
Heath, who is gay, has gone viral across the world with a series of “Life Commentary” videos where he narrates everyday, innocuous events in the style of a sportscaster.
In one video, titled “Dogging”, Heath comments on the “lovely foot work” of two dogs chasing each other around a London park and calls it the “Tooting Dogging Final”.
Dogging.#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/BuRkVWAGjX
— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) March 21, 2020
In another, called “Results Round Up”, Heath narrates a night home alone during coronavirus lockdown, and captures all of our boring pandemic lifestyles.
“Well you join me live as we catch up with the results from Saturday night in Tooting,” Heath says in the video.
“Flat three, nearside lower, Zoom with old mates Amy and Helen, two bottles of wine, too much pizza, and an All Saints karaoke marathon.”
Results Round Up#LifeCommentary #LiveCommentary pic.twitter.com/BptZ3EKfWE
— Nick Heath (@nickheathsport) April 5, 2020
“Flat seven, far end, Mark, Call of Duty with his mates, five beers, three rum and cokes and a re-watch of Weird Science till 2am. What a movie.”
Many of the videos have gone viral, and Heath has gained tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram as fans flock to his Life Commentary videos for entertainment.
Nick Heath ‘blows up’ on social media around the world.
Heath has gained attention well beyond London, too. He recently spoke to USA Today about his newfound fame as a commentator of everyday life.
“It was just going and having a bit of fun and keeping my followers on social media entertained,” the 41-year-old said. “But it obviously has blown up a bit since.”
“I’ve sort of referred to it a little bit as almost being the placebo for real sports because sport for me is as much about the sound of it, the look of it, the feel of it as the action itself.
“So I think if you can embody the sound of it to a degree, then you’re almost scratching the itch for some people.”
Commentator went viral last year when he hit out at anti-LGBT+ rugby player Israel Folau.
This is not Heath’s first brush with fame. Last year, he had another viral moment when he publicly slammed disgraced rugby player Israel Folau for his anti-LGBT+ comments.
In the video, Heath hit out at “God-fearing athletes telling me I need to repent for my sins.”
“It’s not a choice,” he said in the video. “I didn’t really want to be that way. But the fact that I am and got to grips with it and supported by my friends and family means I’m perfectly happy with my life.”