The BBC has apologised after a pornographic prank hit its build-up coverage of Wolves vs Liverpool in their FA Cup third round replay on Tuesday night.
Gary Lineker was presenting when he was interrupted by loud moaning noises in the studio. He later revealed on Twitter that the sound had come from a hidden mobile phone that had been “taped to the back of the set”.
“I have to say, I thought it was funny,” Lineker later told BBC Newsnight. “If you told me this morning that tonight I’d be on Newsnight talking about a porn scandal – I would have been terrified.”
The BBC has since apologised for the incident and promised to investigate.
“We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening. We are investigating how this happened,” a spokesman said.
Lineker was previewing the match, alongside pundits Paul Ince and Danny Murphy, when the noises broke out in the background.
He looked momentarily startled and struggled to keep a straight face as he quickly switched the coverage to Alan Shearer outside the studio.
The Match Of The Day host attempted to laugh off the incident as the noise continued to blare out and said to Shearer: “Somebody’s sending something on someone’s phone, I think. I don’t know whether you heard it at home.”
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Wolves in the FA Cup
Liverpool scored the only goal of the first half, and during the half-time analysis, Lineker said to Ince and Murphy: “Harvey Elliott’s goal was a screamer… which was not the only one we’ve had tonight.”
Self-styled YouTube prankster Daniel Jarvis has since claimed to be behind the incident, which was widely shared across social media.
Jarvis, who uses the nickname Jarvo, was convicted of aggravated trespass last October after he collided with England cricketer Jonny Bairstow during a pitch invasion at the Oval in south London.
He was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for two years, and was also banned from attending any venue where a sporting fixture is being held in England and Wales for two years and from travelling abroad for 12 months.
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