Gary Lineker made a surprise return to BBC screens after his controversial exit after gatecrashing Micah Richards’ analysis of England’s World Cup quarter-final win over Norway.
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 BBC 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.
Richards, who has been working for The Rest is Football and the BBC during the tournament, was working for the latter’s reaction show following England’s nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Norway.
Gary Lineker made a surprise return to the BBC by gatecrashing Micah Richards’ analysis on their reaction show to England’s victory over Norway
The pundit was in the process of analysing the decision to overturn the penalty awarded to England’s Djed Spence in extra-time, before Lineker’s surprise arrival.
Lineker, wearing a red England kit, came into view and placed his arm around Richards’ shoulder.
‘Definitely a penalty,’ Lineker stated, prompting laughter in the studio, with Richards comically reacting by pursing his lips and turning his head towards the former Match of the Day host, perhaps in a nod to Lineker’s awkward relationship with the BBC.
‘Look who’s turned up,’ joked host Jason Mohammed in response.
‘Definitely a penalty, come on England,’ Lineker added to further laughs, adding ‘Nice to see you all there.’
Lineker’s brief cameo ended with Wayne Rooney taking a jibe, joking ‘Tops a bit snug there Gaz.’
The former Match of the Day host has now featured on both the BBC and ITV during the World Cup, after appearing for the latter in a surprise guest slot during the group stage.
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.
Lineker humorously introduced the show before ITV host Laura Woods interjected to remind Lineker of his role.
Lineker had made a surprise guest appearance on ITV earlier in the tournament – where he aimed a dig at the BBC’s decision to base themselves in Salford for the World Cup
‘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 before jocularly apologising for slipping into ‘old habits’.
Lineker 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.
‘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 remained on the coverage for 20 minutes and jokingly asked whether he had failed the audition before departing.
‘If you passed it, you would get my job, so you’ve failed,’ Woods quipped.
‘I’ve got no chance of that, Laura,’ Lineker replied. ‘May I say what a fabulous job you do – you are very good at this.’
Lineker joined Duncan Ferguson, Gary Neville and Ian Wright as a ‘special guest’ on ITV’s temporarily enlarged panel.
