BBC's 'Pope Watch' mocked as viewers say it's straight out of Alan Partridge

viewers were left both bemused and entertained as the broadcaster's papal conclave coverage took a surreal turn, with many likening it to a full-blown Alan Partridge sketch. As The World Today with Maryam Moshiri stretched to fill time during the long wait for white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, the coverage veered off course - with segments devoted to the symbolism of gold, the behaviour of seagulls, and other baffling filler.

One unimpressed viewer wrote on X: "Somebody please free up the BBC journalists that are almost running out of pope's topic while waiting for the smoke from the Sistine chapel chimney ... #pope #conclave". Another added: "The bbc coverage of the conclave is the most @AccidentalP thing I've ever heard. A lot of padding going on, discussions on the importance of seagulls, gold." The Accidental P account is known for sharing real life moments that mimick the iconic character's notoriously awkward blunders.

A third joked: "After two hours of staring at a seagull (and a chimney), the BBC have decided that the Cardinals might have decided not to vote this evening after all . :-). #vatican #conclave"

And at one point, the commentary veered even further off course when a reporter began speculating on "whether or not they were eating pasta while deciding on who the pope would be," and "could there have been a medical emergency?"

The College of Cardinals began its sacred duty on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, entering a papal conclave to elect the 267th pope following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

The 133 eligible cardinals, all under the age of 80, are now locked inside the Sistine Chapel, cut off from the outside world as they take part in the Church's centuries-old voting process.

A two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pontiff. After each voting round, the ballots are burned - producing black smoke if no decision has been made, and white smoke if a new pope has been chosen.

The conclave officially began just before noon ET after the cardinals swore an oath of secrecy and the traditional "Extra Omnes" order was given, clearing the room of all but those entitled to be present.

The doors of the chapel were then sealed. Speculation around potential successors is swirling, with names like Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo among those being floated as possible frontrunners.

Donald Trump sparked backlash after sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope on Truth Social, just days before the Vatican conclave.

Critics called it disrespectful, while Trump brushed it off as a joke, saying "Catholics loved it" and that Melania thought it was "cute." The Vatican declined to comment.

Black smoke was eventually seen pummeling out of the chimeny as the cardinals failed to elect a pope on the first round of voting.