Gary Lineker and Graeme Souness have put their past differences aside after filming ITV's new celebrity gameshow The Box together in London.
The former football rivals worked alongside each other on the entertainment series three years after Souness publicly criticised Lineker over his suspension from the BBC.
Speaking at a London launch event ahead of the show's premiere on September 5, former Liverpool midfielder Souness made a lighthearted jibe about his co-star.
Souness admitted that he wanted to smash Lineker a few times during filming for the new series.
Lineker, who watched ten celebrity contestants tackle challenges on set, joked in response that it was revenge for a tackle at Anfield in 1981.
Souness replied by asking if it was a bit too late to apologise.
On-screen friction and past clashes
The two men share a long history in British football. Souness built his reputation as a dominant midfielder and manager for Liverpool, while Lineker was one of England's leading goalscorers before transitioning into sports broadcasting.
Tension between the pair surfaced in March 2023 when Lineker was suspended by the BBC. The broadcaster took action after the Match of the Day host refused to apologise for social media posts criticising the British government's illegal migrants bill.
Lineker's suspension triggered widespread disruption across sports programming as fellow presenters Ian Wright and Alan Shearer boycotted Match of the Day in solidarity before Lineker was reinstated.
Souness later addressed the situation during an appearance on William Hill's Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, arguing that BBC staff should refrain from making political statements.
Souness said that freedom of speech does not apply to employees at the public broadcaster, adding: "It wasn’t Gary Lineker’s first time upsetting people, and I don’t think he should’ve said what he did because when you take the BBC’s money you have to be very careful with what you say politically. Freedom of speech is something that doesn’t apply when you work for the BBC, I think you have to be very careful."
Inside the format of The Box
ITV's new flagship series has been touted as a replacement for Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, the long-running weekend variety show hosted by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
On The Box, ten celebrity contestants are required to navigate unpredictable physical, mental, and logical challenges while receiving little to no instruction.
Each episode concludes with an elimination showdown known as The Duel, where two players face off to determine who remains in the competition.
The series marks Lineker's first time hosting a major entertainment programme rather than a sports broadcast.
Addressing his new role, Lineker explained: "It's different, it's something I've never done before, which appealed to me, alongside the unique nature of the concept."
Contestant reactions and production rules
Cast members from the upcoming series revealed that producers enforced strict rules to keep Lineker separated from the contestants off camera.
Love Island star Shakira Khan explained that Lineker's prior knowledge of the tasks meant he had to be kept isolated.
Khan revealed: "They had to keep Gary away from us because of his poker face." She added: "He would watch the challenges before, when they tested them, and he would be like, 'Oh, so and so did this earlier so you did better than them!' He was really encouraging."
JLS singer JB Gill confirmed that Lineker was not permitted to socialise with participants away from the cameras due to his knowledge of the show.
Comedian Ellie Taylor praised Lineker's presence on set, describing him as supportive throughout the filming process.
Taylor said: "We saw him around challenges. He was great, he was lovely and supportive. He really enjoyed the process and was invested in the show. And I think having that sort of energy at the top of the show sort of trickled down to the rest of us. He was fab."
Lineker's move to ITV following BBC exit
Lineker signed his major contract with commercial broadcaster ITV after departing the BBC last year following an anti-semitism controversy.
The former football presenter was axed after sharing a pro-Palestine video on Instagram that contained an emoji of a rat, drawing accusations from critics that he was promoting an anti-Semitic slur.
Lineker later apologised unreservedly for the post, stating that he was unaware of the symbol's historical meaning.
In a statement at the time, Lineker said: "I would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic: it goes against everything I stand for."
Lineker, who was previously the BBC's highest-paid presenter, described stepping down from his role at the corporation as the responsible course of action.
The Box is scheduled to premiere on Saturday, September 5, airing on ITV1 and streaming on ITVX.
