BBC needed to apologise after intercourse noises interrupted FA Cup tie as Gary Lineker disagreed
The BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup game between Wolves and Liverpool was interrupted by crude noises
Gary Lineker saw the funny side of a sex prank while working for the BBC(Image: BBC)
The BBC was once forced to apologise over a sex noise prank that disrupted its FA Cup broadcast, leaving Gary Lineker in disagreement.
Wolves face Liverpool at home on Friday night in the fifth round of the FA Cup after the same fixture took place at the Molineux in the Premier League earlier this week.
Wolves also hosted Liverpool in an FA Cup third round replay back in January 2023. The BBC will hope its coverage of the FA Cup clash this time around goes smoothly after a shocking incident unfolded last time out.
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Ahead of the fixture three years ago, which ended 1-0 in Liverpool’s favour, then-presenter Lineker and pundits Paul Ince and Danny Murphy tried to discuss the tie before kick-off. Suddenly, loud noises of an explicit nature began blasting out at full volume in the background.
It was initially unclear where the noises were coming from as Lineker and the pundits tried their best to remain professional and continue their analysis with straight faces. Lineker couldn’t resist chuckling and made light of the situation despite the relentless interruptions playing on a loop.
The moans were picked up by viewers as the broadcaster cut away from the studio for a chat with co-commentator Alan Shearer in the gantry. Lineker revealed shortly after kick-off on X that the source of the noises had been a concealed mobile phone.
He posted: “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set,” along with a photo of the device in question. “As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
The BBC apologised to viewers who were offended by what occurred and pledged to investigate the incident thoroughly. Yet, Lineker, who left his long-standing role at the BBC last year, saw the funny side as he tweeted a picture of the viral incident and joked: “Nothing to moan about, I guess.”
He made light of the incident several more times, including during the half-time segment and after the final whistle, saying: “Harvey Elliott’s goal was a screamer… which was not the only one we’ve had tonight.”
When interviewed by Newsnight after the match, Lineker adopted a light-hearted perspective on the incident and questioned the need to apologise. He said: “If you had told me this morning that tonight I would be on Newsnight talking about a porn scandal, I would have been terrified.
“But thankfully it was just something that happened in the studio. When it started, I did recognise that sound, I think we’ve all been done with that. You might open a WhatsApp and somebody has sent it as a trick, or something. It was quite difficult to deal with during the pre-match build-up.
“I thought maybe it had gone to one of the pundits’ phones but then we worked out that it was a prank. It was so loud that I could hardly hear what the pundits were saying. I have to say, I think it’s funny.
“The BBC have issued some sort of apology – I know not why. We’ve certainly got nothing to apologise for.”
Lineker and Shearer looked back on the incident several months later. “I was interviewing Alan when it was actually going on,” as Shearer added: “Yeah, I was on the co-coms [co-commentary]. So I was inside the stadium. I could hear it and there was a part of me thinking it was my phone!”
Lineker then interjected: “It’s the porn he was listening to the night before!” Shearer admitted he had been pranked by the moaning noise before and was originally left stunned, believing his phone had played the audio out loud by accident.
He added: “I’d been tricked by people sending me that video so many times and I’m thinking, ‘Has it gone off on my phone, in my pocket?’ I tried to be professional and ignore it; I only started laughing when you [Lineker] started laughing!”
Later revealed to be behind the sabotage was notorious prankster Dan Jarvis, also known as Jarvo69 or BMWJarvo, who had strolled into Molineux unchecked by security to plant the phone. Jarvis released a video on YouTube live streaming from his living room showing exactly how it was carried out with the help of accomplices.
Eventually, he managed to access the BBC’s set and, after debating whether to hide the £20 phone with the X-rated extra-loud ringtone beneath a chair or table, he attached it to the set’s wall, positioned high up and out of view. He claims to have called his burner phone 12 times during the broadcast.
