Presenter Gary Lineker said the BBC’s television coverage of the FA Cup clash between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool had been sabotaged after loud pornographic noises were heard during the build-up to Tuesday’s match.
Lineker was discussing the third-round replay in a studio at Molineux alongside pundits Paul Ince and Danny Murphy when audible wailing broke out in the background.
Former Tottenham Hotspur star Lineker 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 manager Juergen Klopp was aired, Lineker cut to colleague and fellow former England striker Alan Shearer in the commentary gantry.
“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 started, Lineker revealed the cause, posting a picture of a mobile phone and three laughing emojis on Twitter alongside the words: “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
During the halftime analysis, Lineker took the opportunity to make further light of the 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 BBC appeared to be less amused, and issued a statement saying: “We apologize to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening.”
A self-ascribed YouTube prankster, who calls himself “Jarvo,” wrote on Twitter that he was behind the stunt, and posted a video showing him calling the phone to activate the sounds.
Jarvo, whose real name is Daniel Jarvis, was in October last year banned from all sporting events in England and Wales for two years after running onto the pitch during a cricket test match between England and India in September 2021 and barging into England batter Jonny Bairstow.
Additional reporting by AP
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