Gary Lineker has finally apologised to Frank Lampard two years after making a brutal comment about his receding hairline. The incident occurred during the BBC's coverage of the European Championships in 2024, when Lineker inadvertently poked fun at Lampard's thinning hair.
The Awkward Exchange
The moment went viral, and Lineker, now 65, used his Rest is Football podcast, now produced in collaboration with Netflix, to make amends. Lampard appeared as a guest on the show, allowing Lineker to address the issue directly.
The original exchange happened during England's Euro 2024 campaign in Berlin. While discussing fans positioned below the studio, Lineker joked about them seeing the back of their heads. The comment was aimed at Lampard, who was sitting next to him.
Lineker said: "It's starting to feel like a World Cup is taking place, joining us Frank Lampard and Joe Cole alongside Alan Shearer. Good thing those fans are down on street level otherwise they'd be looking at the back of our heads, Frank..."
Lampard laughed and replied: "Have you gone there already?" Lineker then explained the context, saying: "For those who don't know, two years ago, the last time I saw you was on your final thing, we had a camera behind us and it showed behind us. I was concerned that I'm thinning a little bit on the top. I was saying, 'we don't really want that shot do, we?' and you were next to me. You did that thing where you were smiling and went serious. I owe you an apology. It's taken me two years to do it."
Lampard's Response
Lampard, now head coach of Coventry City, was joined by former Chelsea teammate Joe Cole and Alan Shearer in New York, while Micah Richards appeared via live stream from the UK. Lampard quipped: "You've sat me between Joe and Alan, I thought that was your version of an apology. I'm fine, my day job means they're looking at the back of my head so they let me know all the time, don't worry."
The incident had previously caused Lineker embarrassment. During the Rest is Football's Euros coverage, he admitted: "I got myself in a bit of a pickle anyway, a little bit, with Frank Lampard. It's gone a little bit viral, I feel bad. I feel bad." He explained that his comment was meant to include everyone, saying: "I meant it about all of us, and I said, 'we don't really want anyone looking at your head do you, Frank?' Obviously Frank's slightly thinning and I'm slightly thinning in my old age a bit. I meant it about everyone, when it came out, it came out a big wrong."
Lineker added: "You know Frank does that thing where he smiles and doesn't smile, Frank's great fun and I must admit when I got back to the hotel and I saw it on social media, I went, 'oh you f****** idiot.' I feel really bad. I haven't seen him since I saw it went viral."
Closure and Success
With the apology now accepted, Lampard revealed that Lineker had also offered his commiserations after Coventry lost in the Championship playoff semi-finals last season, which helped soften the disappointment. Nearly 12 months later, Lampard guided the Sky Blues back to the Premier League by winning the league, ending their 25-year absence from the top flight.
