Lineker refuses to say sorry for sex noises

BBC executives desperately pleaded with Gary Lineker to apologise amid a tense studio stand-off over a prank involving pornographic noises during live FA Cup coverage last week.

Insiders told Telegraph Sport the long-serving anchor refused three times to say sorry as the mystery moans prompted panic among senior corporation management.

Lineker, 62, saw no reason to accept blame on behalf of the BBC as studio operators sought out the phone which had made the loud sounds. The BBC later released a statement apologising but former England captain Lineker told Newsnight he could not understand why it had done so.