More stories

  • in

    Micah Richards reveals ‘angriest I’ve ever been in my life’ after manager decision as he’s mocked by Lineker and Shearer

    MICAH RICHARDS left Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer in stitches as he revealed why one of Manchester City’s greatest days left him “the angriest” he has ever been.The trio all enjoyed great success on the football pitch and now regularly work alongside each other on BBC.
    Micah Richards had Gary Lineker in stitches as he revealed the ‘angriest I’ve ever been in my life’Credit: BBC
    He was also mocked by Alan Shearer as he recalled his agony from 2012Credit: BBC
    They have also recently embarked on a brand new football podcast named “The Rest Is Football”.
    And it was during an episode of their latest venture that Richards was mocked by his colleagues as he recounted Man City’s iconic last-ditch Premier League title victory in 2012.
    Trailing QPR on the final day of the season 2-1 going into additional time, Edin Dzecko came off the bench to equalise.
    And then Sergio Aguero earned himself legendary status as he fired in a dramatic winner to earn Roberto Mancini’s side the title.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL
    However, despite being part of that dramatic afternoon as an unused sub, former City defender Richards still counts the day as a painful one after being dropped in favour of Pablo Zabaleta at right-back.
    And the 35-year-old had his former England striking colleagues crying with laughter as he recalled the agony of not only being dropped for the Argentina ace – but then having to sit there and watch him open the scoring.
    Richards said: “We’re going to the room where he is writing the team and I’m always a second player if I’m going to get picked because when you write on the board it’s always the goalkeeper and then you start with the right-back.
    “He [Mancini] has wrote in Joe Hart and I’ve never watched someone so closely to see what letter he is going to write… If he starts on the left then it means that he is going to write ‘Z’ and go straight across.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
    “If he starts in the middle or at the end and goes down first then he is going to write an ‘R’ for Richards. And what does he do? He goes across like that… Za… Zabaleta.
    “I just thought f*** this! I didn’t do the warm-up properly. But Mancini, the thing is, he wouldn’t even make eye contact with me because he knew what he’d done.”
    As Shearer and Lineker struggled to hold back their laughter, Richards continued: “And what happens in the game? Zabaleta scored the first goal.”
    The chuckling Lineker then asks: “Did you cheer and jump up off the bench?”
    To which Richards bluntly replied: “Did I cheer? I’ve never been so angry in all my life.”
    However, despite his personal anguish, Richards said all of that washed away as he willed his team on from the dug-out during the closing stages.
    Although he still had time to get mocked one more time by Shearer and Lineker as they burst into laughter as he added: “I was in paradise. It was like everything was in slow motion. It was jubilation, it was disappointment.
    “But you know what p***es me off more than anything… ‘Oh, what was it like to play in that QPR game?’ I’ve never got over it.”
    Pablo Zabaleta opened the scoring for Man City as Richards watched onCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd More

  • in

    Alex Scott wows fans as BBC football presenter joins no bra club in bold outfit on NTAs red carpet

    ALEX SCOTT dazzled in a bold outfit at the National Television Awards.The ex-Lioness was dressed to impress on the red carpet with a cream gown and big gold-coloured ear-rings.
    Alex Scott looked elegant at the National Television AwardsCredit: PA
    The former England defender wowed on the red carpetCredit: Splash
    The pundit stunned at the O2 Arena in LondonCredit: PA
    The BBC presenter went without a bra as she posed confidently for photos on the red carpet at the O2 Arena in London.
    Comedian Joel Dommett hosted the NTAs, where Ant & Dec took the award for Best TV Presenters for the 22nd time.
    Scott herself is developing a winning tradition too – for daring dresses.
    She shone in a black dress presenting last week’s Europa League draw.
    READ MORE TOP STORIES
    One fan described her as a “national treasure” for that appearance, with another adding: “Alex Scott on, TV on.”
    And days earlier the 38-year-old was also deluged with admiring comments for her outfit at the PFA Awards.
    Her leggy display was called “unreal”.
    The former Arsenal defender won 140 caps before retiring in 2018.
    Most read in Football
    But despite her less active role behind the camera she’s kept in shape.
    And Scott is happy sharing bikini shots from her summer holiday in Ibiza with her 1.8million Instagram followers.
    Scott looks just at home on the red carpet as on the pitchCredit: Getty More

  • in

    Gary Lineker reveals how Match of the Day chooses running order after fan complaints

    GARY LINEKER has revealed how the Match of the Day running order is decided after receiving accusations of bias from fans. The 62-year-old faced backlash when his former club Tottenham were played first on Saturday’s show after their 5-2 win at Burnley.
    Gary Lineker has responded to fans’ complaints of the MOTD running orderCredit: Alamy
    Lineker fired back insisting the most exciting Premier League games are always on first on Saturday’s MOTD.
    However other factors are taken into consideration, particularly during the second half of the season, he explained.
    Lineker has hosted the BBC flagship football highlights show for more than two decades.
    But fans still question how the running order is decided.
    READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
    Seeing which games get picked to be shown first is one of the show’s unique selling points and hints which Premier League fixtures have been more entertaining.
    The England legend revealed the show’s editor is responsible for the running order but admits it’s a team effort involving himself and the pundits for the weekend.
    He made the revelation during the latest episode of The Rest Is Football – his podcast with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer.
    Lineker said: “It is a combined effort but it is ultimately the editor’s decision.
    Most read in Football
    “Generally you get the best match on first, it is Match of the Day.
    FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS
    “Obviously when you cover a sporting event, the main focus is on the leaders.
    “You don’t watch a horse race and focus on the back six… Towards the second half of the season.
    “Whoever is top of the league has to come into your thinking when deciding.”
    Lineker also said winning results are preferred to draws when it comes to deciding the line-up.
    He added: “We put Forest beating Chelsea 1-0 on second on Saturday night, ahead of Manchester City scoring five against Fulham because it is a big story… You take all those things into account.”
    The BBC has broadcast highlights of the Premier League for most of the division’s existence.
    The only exception was between 2001 and 2004 when ITV obtained the rights. 
    Since regaining coverage Lineker admits he’s worked hard to ensure every team is given a good show.
    He continued: “I had a discussion with BBC bosses when we got the TV rights back from ITV over whether we could show every game.
    Read More on The Sun
    “Back then it was highlights from a few matches, a couple of clips from another and then just goals.
    “They worked it out and I thought ‘at last we won’t get complaints from fans that teams aren’t being shown’. Now it is just them complaining that their team is on last!” More

  • in

    Glamorous BBC presenter Emma Louise Jones looks ‘awkward’ in zip-up bodysuit on red carpet

    EMMA LOUISE JONES has joked that she looked awkward whilst getting her picture taken in a zip-up bodysuit on the red carpet. The BBC presenter shared a hilarious video of her looking awkward when faced with cameras at the premiere for Ricky Hattons’s new documentary.
    Emma Louise Jones has joked that she looked awkward whilst having her photo takenCredit: Instagram – @ELJONESUK
    She was sporting a grey zip-up bodysuitCredit: Instagram – @ELJONESUK
    Emma is a well known TV presenterCredit: Instagram / @eljonesuk
    She is a regular on BBC’s MOTDxCredit: Twitter / @eljonesuk
    Emma shared the clip with the caption: “Could I be any more awkward having my picture taken? 😭😂”
    She was sporting a grey zip-up bodysuit as she posed for the flashing cameras at the premiere.
    The 33-year-old has made a huge name for herself in the industry and is known for her presenting.
    She can be seen on BBC as a host on MOTDx and has been working with the broadcaster since 2021.
    READ MORE SPORT NEWS
    Emma is also a regular on the Official Leeds United United Podcast which she hosts with a crew of big names.
    Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis joins Emma alongside Jermaine Beckford and Patrick Bamford.
    Emma is also hugely popular on social media and has amassed an impressive 401,000 followers on Instagram.
    Although she has had issues with her Instagram account before with fans leaving creepy comments below photos she posts.
    Most read in Football
    One incident occurred recently when Emma was showing off the new Leeds United away kit online and a fan needed to be shut down by the presenter.
    She has also previously revealed the horror story of a man trying to “repeatedly take photos of her” whilst she was out taking her dog for a walk.
    Emma hosts the Official Leeds United PodcastCredit: Instagram
    She is a huge Leeds fanCredit: Instagram
    She has made an impressive name for herself in the industry and onlineCredit: Instagram / @eljonesuk More

  • in

    BBC ‘production error’ baffles fans as Premier League legend accidentally shown during Rubiales kiss storm coverage

    A BBC News “production error” saw the channel use footage of Manchester City legend Pablo Zabaleta rather than Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales when covering his controversial World Cup kiss.Rubiales has been suspended by all football activity by FIFA after he kissed Spain striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
    Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s World Cup win this monthCredit: BBC
    After showing footage of the incident, the BBC mistakenly showed footage of Manchester City legend Pablo ZabaletaCredit: BBC
    The FA President refused to resign from his role last week and insists that his kiss with Hermoso was “consensual”.
    Hermoso denies this and said in an Instagram post last week that she had felt: “vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part”.
    When discussing the incident yesterday, BBC News reporter Lewis Vaughan Jones spoke of how the Spain Football Federation (RFEF) had called an urgent meeting to discuss the future of Rubiales.
    With Vaughn Jones talking through the situation, footage of the kiss between Rubiales and Hermoso was shown before cutting to footage of Zabaleta at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    Fans on social media were baffled by the mistake with one writing: “Oh no! Zaba is such a wholesome person.”
    Another commented: “Lol they might as well have put [actor] Mark Strong in the clip.”
    A third wrote: “Poor Zabaleta lmao.”
    A BBC spokesperson said: “A production error meant we showed the wrong image in an earlier broadcast. This has now been rectified.”
    Most read in Football
    Pablo Zabaleta spent nine years at Manchester CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    The TV error comes amid the latest twist in the Rubiales saga – which has seen his mother, Angeles Bejar, lock herself in a church and begin a hunger strike until her son’s name is cleared.
    The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort of Motril east of Malaga where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
    She says she will continue her strike until father-of-three son Luis receives “justice” and Hermoso “tells the truth”.
    She told Spanish press: “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.”
    Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties.
    “My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.”
    Spanish prosecutors have now opened an investigation into whether Rubiales sexually assaulted Hermoso.
    A statement from Spain’s highest court said: “Prosecutors from the National Court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault.”
    Read More on The Sun
    Rubiales’ mother has locked herself in an Andalucian church and is on hunger strikeCredit: EPA
    They will also contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a suit within 15 days.
    The team’s playing squad is now in open revolt against the RFEF, with Hermoso one of 81 players now refusing to play for Spain’s national team until “the federation leadership is removed”. More

  • in

    BBC pundit and ex-England cricketer’s retirement party backfires after prank leaves her with huge bruises on her face

    ALEX HARTLEY was out legs before wicket at her retirement party – when a prank involving an octopus backfired bruisingly.The BBC pundit and ex-England cricketer, 29, blames herself for “two massive bruises on my forehead” as she celebrated on a night out.
    Popular presenter Alex Hartley thought nothing could go wrong from a cuddly jape with an octopus as she celebrated retiring from playingCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
    Alex reveals her unexpected injuries following her partyCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
    The ex-spinner played ODI and T20 cricket for England from 2016-2019Credit: Getty
    Alex was suckered by her own stunt as she was pictured grinning with her eyes shut in the back of a bus – while a fluffy octopus sat round her neck.
    The former spinner – a hero of England’s 2017 women’s World Cup glory – explained how she made a right tentacle out of herself.
    The one-day star told BBC Sport: “I stuck two octopuses to my head. Pretending it was my hair, I was flicking it around.
    “They were on there for about 20 minutes..
    READ MORE TOP STORIES
    And as another photo showed two purple bumps on her head, Alex added: “Then I looked like that. I’ve got two massive bruises on my forehead.”
    But although Alex’s octopus antics cost her a double dent on her head, they left her squids in with fans.
    One posted: “Bet she’s a right laugh on a night out.”
    Another urged: “Please don’t change. You have such a great vibe.”
    Most read in Cricket
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    “Love this,” said a third, and “You made me smile so it was worth it,” claimed a fourth.
    Her jape also proved to be a potential hit for sea-life sales as one observer revealed: “I want to buy an octopus now.”
    But another fan warned: “Always be mindful of a sticky wicket, when the octopus is in play.”
    Hartley had earlier announced she was quitting playing on the BBC’s No Balls Podcast, which she hosts with England fast bowler Kate Cross.
    Having already decided to focus on her mental health, she said of her retirement “I can’t believe it – I feel so good.
    “I’m going to really miss it, I’m going to be really sad but it’s so right.
    “I’ve loved it, I’ve hated it, but I am really proud of what I’ve achieved. It’s everything that I’ve ever wanted to do.”
    The pundit says she ‘covered it well’ as she hid her bruising following her unorthodox octopus encounterCredit: Twitter @@bbctms
    The spinner was a star of England’s 2017 World Cup final win vs IndiaCredit: PA
    Hartley quit playing cricket this month after featuring for Welsh Fire in The Hundred, including here at Headingley vs Northern SuperchargersCredit: Getty More

  • in

    Jessica Ennis-Hill lights up BBC studio in stunning outfit as fans hail her as ‘lovely’ at World Athletics Championships

    OLYMPIC hero Jessica Ennis-Hill lit up the BBC studio in a stunning yellow dress for the World Athletics Championships.The 37-year-old heptathlon legend is in Budapest, Hungary as a pundit.
    Jessica Ennis-Hill lit up the BBC studio when she appeared on the channel’s coverage at the World Athletics ChampionshipsCredit: BBC
    Wearing a stunning yellow dress, Ennis-Hill stole the limelight from her fellow punditsCredit: BBC
    And on Sunday, she appeared alongside former American sprinter Michael Johnson and fellow gold medallist Denise Lewis, with Gabby Logan on presenting duties.
    But, despite the star quality sat next to her, it was Jessica who stole the show with her fashionable outfit.
    She wore a stunning round neck frock, complete with short sleeves, for her appearance.
    Needless to say, fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, were singing her praises for her fashionable choice and expert opinion.
    Read more sports news
    One wrote: “Jessica Ennis-Hill is lovely.”
    A second shared: “What a lovely woman Jess Ennis-Hill is. Have really enjoyed watching the BBC coverage of athletics.”
    A third posted: “The humility and laughter of Jessica Ennis-Hill on the studio was a great TV moment. Here at home enjoying the panel and commentary team so much for the World Athletics in Budapest.”
    While a fourth added: “There isn’t a better commentary in world sport than the #BBCAthletics team. Amazing experience and knowledge with@MJGold, Denise Lewis. Jess Ennis-Hill and Steve Backley and the youth and enthusiasm of people like Jazz Sawyers. It’s the perfect combination.”
    Most read in Athletics
    Jessica Ennis-Hill is certainly making an impact on TV this summerCredit: BBC
    The athletics legend has been praised by fans for her expert knowledge and commentsCredit: Getty
    Just a day earlier she left fans gushing over her choice of a bold green outfit while again on pundit duties.
    Ennis-Hill claimed her first heptathlon world title in 2009, before she also went on to win the event two years later.
    Then, after initially claiming silver in 2015, she was promoted to gold the following year after Tatyana Chernova was stripped of the title for a doping violation – one month after Ennis-Hill announced her retirement.
    But British sports fans know her best for her stunning Olympic triumph at the London 2012 Games.
    Four years later, she won silver in Rio – hanging up her spikes towards the end of 2016.
    Jess is a firm fans’ favourite after a stunning careerCredit: The Times More

  • in

    BBC F1 presenter Jennie Gow, 46, reveals she has ‘acquired dyslexia’ eight months on from terrifying stroke

    BBC Formula One presenter Jennie Gow has developed dyslexia eight months on from a terrifying stroke.The 46-year-old suffered the stroke brought on by a cough from an infection in December last year.
    Jennie Gow returns to work after suffering a stroke just eight months agoCredit: Getty
    Gow will be helped by husband Jamie today at the Dutch GP
    She is now ready to get back to work for the first time, returning to the paddock and Radio 5 Live today at the Dutch Grand Prix.
    In an interview with The Times, the broadcaster has opened up on the effects of the life-changing incident.
    Gow has developed dyslexia and struggled with communication.
    Speech has been tough and she initially spoke using a whiteboard after regaining movement in her left side.
    READ MORE IN F1
    The host was expecting her communication recovery to take months, yet after advice not to shout or get angry from nurses she soon began speaking normally again.
    Her speech was “most affected” by the stroke but fears her career could be over will be put to bed today in Zandvoort.
    Gow will be joined by her husband Jamie, who is assisting her with work this week as Max Verstappen starts on pole.
    Opening up on her return to the radio, she admitted: “I don’t know if it’s hard for Jamie to see me back at work, but I think he knows I need to at least try and do it. See what I can do.
    Most read in Motorsport
    “F1 is a very friendly place and one that I have lived in for the last 12 years. It’s a supportive place, even though everyone is competitive and finding their own way.
    “There are still moments that my voice doesn’t seem right to me, and obviously I have some gaps in my speech that I didn’t have before. I’m constantly struggling in my head to find the next word.
    “But we’ve spent eight months working on this, for hours every day.”
    The stroke has also caused a change in taste, Gow was previously a fan of Marmite and white wine but now hates both.
    Additionally, she suffered nerve damage in her right hand and is now unperceptive to heat and at risk of burn and her face has a slight droop.
    Jamie recalled when he saw that his wife had collapsed and described it as “the worst moment of my life”.
    Their six-year-old daughter Isabelle rushed to the phone to help her father call the ambulance.
    Jamie called Gow’s name but there was no response.
    Read More on The Sun
    But just eight months on from the horror incident she is back as a shadow presenter to Rosanna Tennant.
    Gow has worked on BBC Radio 5 Live covering F1 since 2012.
    Jennie Gow has opened up on her struggles since suffering a strokeCredit: BBC
    The broadcaster has been involved with F1 since 2012Credit: Getty More