Gary Lineker has reconciled with his younger brother Wayne after a reported 17-year feud. The pair, once inseparable, became estranged for nearly two decades before family weddings last summer prompted them to rebuild their relationship.
Wayne Lineker, 63, a nightclub mogul with venues in Ibiza and Magaluf, said the turning point came when his daughter and his nephew both married last year. Speaking on the UNTAPPED podcast, he said: 'My daughters and my nephews' wedding this year, so we've had two; we both needed to be there. That was the turning point.'
The rift is believed to have started in 2008 when Gary began dating Danielle Bux, whom he married in 2009 and separated from in 2016. Wayne previously claimed that Bux 'cost me my relationship with my brother', alleging that she stayed in her accommodation during a visit to Ibiza and that they never spoke. He also said he was excluded from the wedding guestlist.
Despite the long estrangement, Wayne insisted there was never any jealousy towards his older brother, who captained England and became a BBC pundit. 'I built my own reputation and brand now,' he said. 'We're two different people, we're chalk and cheese... but we've had our ups and downs and we're back to being nice, friendly brothers again.'
Wayne, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction, also revealed that Gary's son Harry's wedding in Ibiza marked the first proper conversation between the brothers in 15 years. 'It was like we never fell out,' he told The Sunday Times. 'There was never one millimetre of jealousy.'
