'Sex noise phone prank' interrupts FA Cup coverage live on TV as host Gary Lineker sees funny side

18 January 2023, 01:33 | Updated: 18 January 2023, 02:12

An apology has been issued after 'sexual noises' were heard when live TV coverage of the FA Cup was 'sabotaged by a prankster' - but host Gary Lineker saw the funny side.

During the broadcast, moaning was heard while the Match of the presenter was in the hot seat for Tuesday's third-round replay between Wolves and Liverpool.

Later, the ex-footballer-turned-pundit posted a picture on Twitter of mobile phone that he said had been "taped to the back of the set".

The BBC has since offered an apology to "any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening".

A spokesperson for the corporation said the BBC was investigating the incident.

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Lineker attempted to laugh off the prank during the coverage, which he presented alongside fellow pundits Danny Murphy and Paul Ince.

As he cut to Alan Shearer, who was in the commentary gantry, he said: "Somebody's sending something on someone's phone, I think.

"I don't know whether you heard it at home."

When the match kicked off, Lineker shared a photo of a mobile phone, writing: "Well, we found this taped to the back of the set.

Later, the World Cup Golden Boot winner explained that he at first he thought that a video had been sent to one of the pundits' phones.

But he said it was "too loud", and realised it was a prank of some kind.

Lineker said he saw the funny side and he questioned why an apology had been issued, telling BBC Two's Newsnight "We've certainly got nothing to [be sorry] for."

Laughing, he told the programme: "If you told me this morning that tonight I'd be on Newsnight talking about a porn scandal, I would have been terrified."

The incident caused a stir on social media with clips of the embarrassing moment widely shared widely on Tuesday evening.