Gary Lineker made a surprise appearance on ITV's World Cup coverage, igniting a playful feud with co-host Micah Richards. After being dubbed a 'traitor' for switching to the rival broadcaster, Lineker bluntly told Richards to 'shut the f*** up' during their Netflix show, The Rest Is Football.
Lineker's ITV Cameo and Digs at the BBC
The former Match of the Day host, who left the BBC controversially last year, appeared on ITV on Saturday ahead of Germany's clash with Ivory Coast. Within seconds, he fired a dig at his former employers, praising ITV as 'absolutely amazing' compared to the BBC's remote setup. Lineker, who has been hosting daily editions of The Rest Is Football for Netflix from New York, initially planned to continue with the BBC's World Cup output but severed all ties in May last year.
As ITV launched its live coverage, Lineker quipped: 'Thank you for joining us on ITV for this one, another day, another game, another channel.' Presenter Laura Woods interrupted, 'Woah, woah, woah Gary that's my job,' to which Lineker replied, 'Sorry, sorry, old habits Laura, old habits.'
Playful Banter on Netflix Show
On their Netflix podcast, Richards mimicked Lineker's ITV appearance, introducing the show as 'The Rest Is Football with me Micah Richards.' Lineker interrupted, 'Woah, woah, woah, woah. Micah that's my job,' prompting laughter. Richards then called him an 'absolute traitor' for leaving the BBC after 26 years. Lineker responded: 'Hang on a minute Micah. Shut the f*** up. I'll do it properly now.'
When Richards returned, he asked why Lineker appeared on ITV. Lineker explained with a wry smile: 'I was making an appearance to promote my show The Box, which is also on ITV in September. And also I wanted to go and have a little look at the studio. I also wanted to go and promote our Netflix show which I got two mentions in for. It was just for purely professional reasons, Micah.'
Further Digs at the BBC
Richards remained skeptical, saying: 'Professional reasons? Come on Gaz. You're better than that.' Lineker retorted: 'Says the person that works for pretty much every television channel known to man.' The banter continued as Lineker recorded a behind-the-scenes blog, claiming he could 'confirm it's real' and receiving a head massage, noting, 'You don't get this at the BBC.'
