BBC has apologized after sex noises disrupted live broadcast of the FA Cup match between Wolves and Liverpool on television.
Later, the football pundit shared a photo of a cellphone that he claimed was “taped to the rear of the set.”
“We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening,” BBC said.
According to a spokeswoman, the BBC is looking into the situation.
Alongside commentators Paul Ince and Danny Murphy, Lineker attempted to shrug off the event as he hosted the show in a studio at Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium.
In the commentary gantry, he cut to his teammate and fellow former England striker Alan Shearer saying: “Somebody’s sending something on someone’s phone, I think.
“I don’t know whether you heard it at home.”
Before the game began, he tweeted an image of a cellphone with the words “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set” and three laughing emojis.
“As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
Later on Tuesday, Lineker revealed that at first he believed a video had been delivered to one of the pundits’ phones on BBC Two’s Newsnight. But he complained that it was “too loud,” at which time he realized it was a joke.
When asked how loud the sound effect was in the studio, the announcer replied that it was “very difficult” to continue with the pre-match build-up since he couldn’t hear what people were saying in their ears.
Lineker questioned why the BBC had to apologize as he claimed he could see the humor in it and called it a “excellent” joke.
“We’ve certainly got nothing to [be sorry] for,” he told the BBC’s Kirsty Wark, while travelling back from the FA Cup match.
“If you told me this morning that tonight I’d be on Newsnight talking about a porn scandal,” he added, laughing, “I would have been terrified.”
Viewers were aware of the incident since videos of it were widely posted on social media on Tuesday night.
Daniel Jarvis, a YouTube prankster, claimed responsibility for the act after sharing a video on Twitter that purported to show him at Molineux.
Jarvis received a suspended sentence in October of last year after being found guilty of aggravated trespass in connection with a Test match invasion of the Oval pitch in south London during which he clashed with England bowler Jonny Bairstow.
In addition to receiving an eight-week prison sentence with a two-year suspension, he was also prohibited from going to any England or Wales sporting facility for two years.
Additionally, he was given a 12-month travel ban and has to participate in rehabilitation activities.
The BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), with headquarters in London’s Broadcasting House, is the country’s official broadcaster.
With over 22,000 employees worldwide, 19,000 of whom work in public-sector broadcasting, it is the oldest national broadcast outfit in the world and the one with the most staff.
A royal charter founded the BBC, and it is governed by a contract it has with the secretary of state for digital, culture, media, and sport to carry out its operations.
All British families, businesses, and organizations who use any kind of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts and iPlayer catch-up are required to pay an annual television licence fee, which primarily funds the organization’s operations.
The charge, which is determined by the British government and approved by parliament, is used to pay for the BBC’s radio, television, and online services that serve the country’s various nations and regions.
Since 1 April 2014, it has also provided funding for the BBC World Service, which first broadcast in 1932 under the name BBC Empire Service and offers extensive TV, radio, and internet services in Arabic and Persian.
