Sam Woolmott's bench ratings go global after Old Sodbury perfect 10
Sam Woolmott's perfect 10 bench rating in Old Sodbury has drawn millions of views and international media interest, and he has now rated a Yate bench seven out of 10.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
A social media star from the West Country has become an international talking point after giving a public bench a perfect score. Sam Woolmott, who rates benches on social media, awarded his first 10 out of 10 in Old Sodbury while sitting with his new wife Sophie. The moment was featured on regional television in August and has since been viewed millions of times online. It brought 10,000 new Instagram followers and attention from media in China and Germany, including a TV crew that filmed with him and talk of another crew going to Munich. He also appeared on a couple of American news shows.
Woolmott said the response had been in good spirits. He said people had told him they also got married at the same church and wished they had a wedding photo on the bench. The British Heart Foundation got in contact and reviewed one of its benches. Woolmott said he believed it had 68 benches installed across the country. His reviews have also been used for promotional content, including a pork pie at Stonehenge. He noted that he bought the pork pie himself and did not receive anything free.
He said many messages came from people who did not want the page to end. With that in mind, he rated the King's Coronation Bench in Kingsgate Park, Yate. It scored seven out of 10. The bench picked up marks for being made of wood, having armrests and a backrest, and having a solid base with dry feet and no mud underneath. It did not get a mark for a plaque or dedication, and it scored poorly for curvature. It received two marks for location and view in a nice park, and Woolmott said it had an abundance of wow factor. He described seven out of 10 as decent and above average.
The coverage said his love story and bench ratings had now been told in languages around the world.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A perfect score by Sam Woolmott in Old Sodbury went viral, attracting millions of views and 10,000 new Instagram followers. | |
| Sam Woolmott gave his latest bench a score of seven out of ten. | |
| The British Heart Foundation contacted Sam Woolmott and reviewed one of its benches. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The regional bulletin treated the item as a light-hearted follow-up with international reach. It focused on Woolmott's personal story, the viral response to the Old Sodbury perfect 10, and a fresh rating in Yate. The tone was warm and chatty, with no scrutiny of the claims or outside comment.
- “Well since Sam Woolmott gave us the scoop of him giving his first ever perfect score in Old Sodbury his popularity has grown across the globe.”
- “I've had so many different messages from people that don't want to see the page end.”
- “I think I'm at a seven out of ten.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:45 BST
Sam Woolmott, local man who rates public benches on social media
BBC News at One including · Fri 23 Oct
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.