Football: BBC presenter Gary Lineker left red-faced by sex noises during FA Cup coverage
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TV pundits Paul Ince (left) and Gary Lineker during the broadcast of the match between Liverpool and Wolves on Jan 17, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Gary Lineker said the BBC’s television coverage of the FA Cup clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool
The former England striker, who is now a BBC presenter, was discussing the third-round replay in a studio at Molineux alongside pundits Paul Ince and Danny Murphy, when audible moaning and wailing broke out in the background.
The ex-Tottenham star was clearly startled and struggled not to laugh as he said: “Would you stop making those noises, Danny.”
When the sexually charged sounds continued after an interview with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was aired, Lineker cut to colleague and fellow former England striker Alan Shearer in the commentary gantry.
““I don’t know who’s making that noise. Somebody’s sending something on someone’s phone, I think. I don’t know whether you heard it at home,” Lineker said.
Once the match kicked off, he revealed the cause, tweeting a picture of a mobile phone and three laughing emojis alongside the words: “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
During the half-time analysis, Lineker took the opportunity to make further light of the bizarre incident.
Talking to Ince and Murphy, he said of Liverpool’s opening goal: “Harvey Elliott’s goal was a screamer... which was not the only one we’ve had tonight.”
The stunt did not go unnoticed by viewers as the incident was widely shared on social media.
A BBC spokesman said on Twitter: “We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening. We are investigating how this happened.”
The BBC then reported that YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis claimed responsibility for the stunt. He posted a video on Twitter that appeared to show him at Molineux.
Jarvis, who is a serial pitch invader, according to the Daily Mail, tweeted: “Here we are, we have set up a phone with a loud sex noise in the BBC studios at the Wolves v Liverpool FA Cup replay.
“Yes, it was me that pranked the BBC Match of the Day.” AFP, REUTERS
