Eamonn Holmes claims co-stars halted BBC plot to replace him with Gary Lineker

25 July 2023 , 09:14

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Eamonn Holmes claims co-stars halted BBC plot to replace him with Gary Lineker

Eamonn Holmes claims Gary Lineker once nearly took his job - until his colleagues stepped in and stopped the BBC in their tracks.

The outspoken Irishman nearly got the boot from his gig presenting the snooker until the stars rallied around.

Eamonn, 63, fronted Pot Black in the early 1990s but says Gary was being lined up to replacement him.

He made the claim on GB News as his co-hosts discusses comments made by broadcasting great Des Lynam, who argued Gary should stick to sport and not tweet his political opinions.

During the conversation, the former This Morning presenter recalled the moment he found out BBC bosses were trying to get the Match of the Day host into his role.

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He said: "I used to host snooker for the BBC at that stage, and they wanted to replace me with Gary Lineker. Pot Black and things," he announced.

‘I’m lucky that the snooker players, I think, got together as a union and said 'No, we like Eamonn'.

"And, actually, it’s a tremendous tribute to me that they said, “No, we want Eamonn to stay”, and they had that power that meant that I stayed on hosting snooker, that was a great compliment."

Des made the remarks after the controversy earlier this year which saw Gary's future at the BBC thrown into huge doubt.

"He was very complimentary about Gary, says he liked him as a broadcaster," Eamonn said.

"Des is the doyen, Des is the Pope of broadcasting. He is the one if you were any good you wanted to be like because he was the best.

"See, Gary Lineker actually changed the way sports representation happened after that because prior to that, there were anchors, people like David Coleman, Frank Bough, Dickie Davies, Des Lynam.

Gary Lineker also entered the world a snooker in his early broadcasting days (Getty Images)

"After Des, it was sports hosts who anchored all the programmes. You had to have competed at some level or been involved in sport."

But there is no bad blood at all between Gary and Eamonn, who he went on to call a ‘top man’.

Des made the comments while appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme.

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The 80-year-old said: "I like him as a chap, I like him as a broadcaster.

"But, I think there are some areas that he should stay out of.

"For example, the last World Cup was in Qatar and he went very, very strongly about the limitations of society in Qatar.

"And he’s right, there are, but he’s not the person to say it. Get on with the football."

Responding, Gary simply tweeted: "Des is entitled to his opinion… as, of course, am I."

Sam Elliott-Gibbs