Gary Lineker has been speaking about his recent trip to Wimbledon and the Match of the Day host says the presence of Anthony Joshua in the royal box was a little awkward
Gary Lineker ‘didn’t have the balls’ to tell Anthony Joshua off at Wimbledon(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Big boxer Anthony Joshua left Gary Lineker feeling a little uncomfortable when the pair met at Wimbledon last week.
The broadcaster and the athlete were sat side-by-side in the royal box on Centre Court on Friday as they were treated to Carlos Alcaraz’s latest champion performance as well as Emma Raducanu’s epic with Aryna Sabalenka under the roof. But the former Match of the Day host says the experience left him feeling quite uncomfortable.
Chatting to Micah Richards and Alan Shearer about it on his Rest Is Football podcast, Gary discussed the matter with his fellow former pros, who couldn’t help but laugh after being made to feel very small by man mountain AJ as they watched the action on day five of the Championships.
Gary said: “I went to Wimbledon the other day. I just want to thank Wimbledon for inviting me, it was lovely. I took my youngest, Angus. We sat next to Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn and we had a laugh watching some great tennis.” Micah stopped him, and chimed in: “Can I just say, you were looking marvellous.”
It was a busy – and very cramped – royal box on Friday at SW19(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Shearer added: “Micah, he was looking marvellous until you looked to his left and saw Anthony Joshua.” Ignoring the former Manchester City defender and England legend, Gary went on: “I was sitting in the seats next to Anthony, and he’s obviously huge. His legs… and the only way he sits, because there wasn’t enough room, was he had his legs wide open.
“And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the… it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly. The game was going on and I wanted to shout.
“But I never had the balls, at any point, to tell him, ‘Will you f***ing move your legs over a little bit, give me some room?’ Absolutely true. But he’s a lovely, lovely guy and I had a laugh with him. And they were great company for the afternoon.”
The host, 64, left his role at Match of the Day in May, having presented the show for 26 years. His departure came after he shared a social media post which included a rat emoji, an animal historically used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda. Lineker deleted the post and issued multiple apologies but the decision was made for him to leave the BBC altogether a year earlier than planned.
Recently, the former England striker has hit out at the broadcaster over a documentary which they refused to air over impartiality concerns, resulting in backlash. ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ was commissioned and paid for by the BBC as the bloody Israel-Gaza conflict continues.
According to the Independent, it was given six different transmission dates across January and February but its premiere kept getting pushed back. Now Channel 4 has the rights to the documentary which was made by Basement Films. At a screening on, Lineker gave his reaction while holding back tears. “One of the most important films I’ve ever seen, certainly the most moving. I might need a minute here,” he told the audience.
“It needed to be seen. It really did need to be seen. I think everyone would agree with that. I think the BBC should hold its head in shame. “I’ve worked for the corporation for 30 years; to see the way it’s declined in the last year or two has been devastating really. I’ve defended it and defended it against claims that it is partial.”
He added: “It talks about impartiality all the time. The truth is at the moment, at the very top of the BBC, not the BBC all over, because as you know there are thousands and thousands of people who work at the BBC that are good people that understand what is going on here and can see it.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed an £800,000 deal to be a pundit on Match of the Day from next season. The England icon will join the BBC’s flagship show following Gary’s departure. He has been replaced by Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates who will rotate as host of Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, the Sunday highlights show.
And the trio will be joined by Rooney who will appear as a pundit, report The Sun. Rooney has dipped his toe into more punditry on the BBC and Sky Sports since he was sacked as Plymouth manager on New Year’s Eve. Lineker hosted his final Match of the Day in May, and signed off with an emotional statement. “Alan [Shearer] and Micah [Richards], I suspect our paths will cross again very shortly,” he said.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank all of the other pundits that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years, you’ve made my job so much easier.
“Also, a huge thank you to those you don’t see at home: the work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors, to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs, thank you all, you’re the very best.
