Gary Lineker poked fun at the BBC as he returned to terrestrial football coverage for the first time since leaving the corporation.
In a move that shocked football fans when it was first mooted, Lineker made a guest appearance on ITV’s coverage of Germany versus Ivory Coast on Saturday night.
Lineker humorously introduced the show, as he used to as a presenter on the BBC, before ITV host Laura Woods interjected and told him it was her job.
‘Thank you very much for joining us on ITV for this one – another day, another game, another channel,’ Lineker said as he opened the programme.
That was before he was stopped in his tracks by Woods, who reminded him it was her job to start the show before Lineker put his hands and jokingly apologised for his ‘old habits’.
‘I’ve been doing a show daily for Netflix, we’re at Times Square,’ Lineker later continued. ‘But I desperately wanted to come and see your set because I think it’s absolutely amazing and I can confirm that it is real,’ Lineker said as he aimed the BBC’s green screen studio in Salford.
He then mocked the BBC, confirming ITV’s breathtaking studio overlooking the Manhattan skyline was real, while his former employers remain at Salford’s MediaCity until the knockout stages.
After an 11-minute love-in, Lineker took the broadcast to its first advert break. Host Woods then gave him the chance to get political, asking him about FIFA’s ticket prices, which he criticised.
Lineker remained on the coverage for 20 minutes and jokingly asked whether he had passed the audition before departing. Woods quipped
The 65-year-old joined Duncan Ferguson, Gary Neville and Ian Wright as a ‘special guest’ on ITV’s enlarged panel.
Lineker humorously introduced the show, as he used to as a host on the BBC, before host Laura Woods interjected and told him it was her job
The 65-year-old joined Duncan Ferguson, Gary Neville and Ian Wright as a ‘special guest’ on ITV’s enlarged panel
Lineker was supposed to front the BBC’s coverage at this summer’s World Cup in his final bow for the corporation after 26 years of service.
However, he was stood down last May following backlash over a string of political social media posts, which included what he said was the unwitting sharing of a post on Instagram which featured a depiction of a rat – an image associated with antisemitism.
The former Match of the Day host, who was the BBC’s highest earner of all time, apologised ‘unreservedly’ following the furore over the rat post but would go on to leave the Beeb at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Lineker has been based in New York for the World Cup, hosting The Rest Is Football podcast produced by his firm Goalhanger. Episodes go out daily on Netflix, with the deal worth a reported £14million.
Lineker has recently joined the wider ITV family, fronting upcoming celebrity gameshow The Box in September.
