Gary Lineker’s Awkward Seven-Hour Encounter with Anthony Joshua at Wimbledon

Gary Lineker has revealed he endured an uncomfortable day sat alongside Anthony Joshua, as they joined a slew of big names in the Royal Box for the Wimbledon Championship on Friday.

The pair were among big names who were sat on Centre Court for a day of tennis action, which included Emma Raducanu’s blockbuster match with Aryna Sabalenka, and Carlos Alcaraz’s victory over Jan-Lennard Struff.

But while Gary has since shared that Anthony was a ‘lovely guy,’ he admitted that due to his 6ft 7inch frame, he was left with little leg room for the seven hours they were sat alongside one another.

Sharing the story on his podcast, The Rest Is Football, with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, he admitted that he started to get leg cramps due to the awkward seating.

He said: ‘I went to Wimbledon the other day. I just want to thank Wimbledon for inviting me, it was lovely. I took my youngest, Angus.

‘We sat next to Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn and we had a laugh watching some great tennis.’

Gary Lineker has revealed he endured an uncomfortable day sat alongside Anthony Joshua , as they joined a slew of big names in the Royal Box for the Wimbledon Championship on Friday

The former footballer shared that the boxer was a ‘lovely guy,’ he admitted that due to his 6ft 7inch frame, he was left with little leg room for the seven hours they were sat together

As Micah chimed in: ‘Can I just say, you were looking marvellous,’ Alan joked: ‘Micah, he was looking marvellous until you looked to his left and saw Anthony Joshua.’

Brushing off his co-hosts usual jibes, Gary continued: ‘I was sitting in the seats next to Anthony, and he’s obviously huge.

‘His legs… and the only way he sits, because there wasn’t enough room, was he had his legs wide open.

‘And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the… it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly.

‘And the game was going on and I wanted to shout.

‘But I never had the balls, at any point, to tell him, ‘Will you f***ing move your legs over a little bit, give me some room?

‘Absolutely true. But he’s a lovely, lovely guy and I had a laugh with him. And they were great company for the afternoon.’

Gary’s outing came after he launched another attack on the BBC during an appearance on stage at Glastonbury – before calling out: ‘Free Palestine.’

Sharing the story on his podcast, The Rest Is Football , with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer , he admitted that he started to get leg cramps due to the awkward seating

Gary and Anthony were among a star-studded guest list in the famous Royal Box during Wimbledon’s fifth day last week

The former England football captain, who signed off as Match Of The Day presenter after three decades last month, accused corporation chiefs of having ‘lost their way’.

Gary, quit his role as the BBC’s best paid presenter a year ahead of schedule following his controversial sharing of an online post condemned as anti-Semitic.

He has now suggested that people ‘at the very top of the BBC’ had ‘an agenda’, as he took part in a Q&A session at the music festival staged in Somerset this weekend.

He was speaking during an on-stage conversation with Groove Armada DJ and farming advocate Andy Cato at the Glastonbury event on Saturday afternoon.

Ex-England, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona striker Gary, when asked about the BBC for whom he worked for 30 years, said: ‘I think they have lost their way a little bit.

‘There are thousands of brilliant people at the BBC but at the moment I don’t think that’s reflected right at the very top.’

He also told of some sympathy, however, for the corporation’s highest-profile official, saying: ‘I feel for Tim Davie, the director-general, because I believe there are people above him that have an agenda.’

Gary was questioned in the Glastonbury session about his increasingly outspoken views on politics, which have attracted criticism and questions about BBC impartiality.

Gary shared: ‘And I was forced, for like seven hours, whatever it was, to put my legs to the… it got to the stage where I was getting cramp in my inside thigh so badly’

The broadcaster, who co-runs lucrative podcast brand Goalhanger, said: ‘I did have a very big platform and thought, what’s the point if you don’t use it – if you don’t push beliefs that you believe to be right?

‘I don’t really use Twitter any more because it’s become a hateful place, which is a shame really because I used to enjoy it, but I will keep posting on Instagram, so more of the same.’

Gary finished the Q&A encounter by saying he ‘wanted to see Kneecap’, the Irish rappers whose appearance at Glastonbury has attracted controversy – including calls from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the BBC not to show their performance.

The ex-footballer noted, however, that his own Glastonbury appearance on-stage clashed with their scheduled gig elsewhere on the site.

Before departing, Lineker told his audience: ‘Free Palestine.’

Gary faced backlash last month after sharing on Instagram to his 1.2million followers a video from the group Palestine Lobby, featuring an emoji of a rat – a symbol that has been used in Nazi propaganda as an anti-Jewish smear.

He later issued an ‘unreserved apology’, saying: ‘I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.

‘The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue.

‘Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters.

‘I take full responsibility for this mistake. ‘That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.’