Pearce feels the heat in Beijing

Forget about censorship, suspected terrorist attacks, dangerous levels of air pollution or - shock horror - athletes who might be using drugs to improve their performance. The big story for journalists covering the Olympics in China is the stifling heat. At least, it was for BBC reporter James Pearce, who had to abandon a planned live report because he was sweating too much. "To be blunt I was in no fit state to broadcast," reports Pearce on his blog. "If I'd gone on air then terrified viewers around the UK would have been rushing towards their remote controls. I was a mess!" He said he "explained to our bosses back home that 'technical difficulties' were making the broadcast impossible". That's technical difficulties of the armpit kind. "Maybe I just don't have the right deodorant, but I think the problem is far more fundamental than that," adds Pearce. "Various solutions have been suggested. One of my colleagues has offered me some potion that he was given by the army in Afghanistan. Apparently once you cover your face with it you get about a quarter of an hour 'sweat free'. That bit sounds fine, but the next bit rather dimmed my enthusiasm. I'm told that once your 15 minutes is up, your face 'explodes' with everything that has been covered up before and that your skin can feel numb for hours." One more reason for watching the BBC's Olympics coverage then.