Gary Lineker has blasted Richard Madeley - comparing him to Alan Partridge following his “car crash” interview on Good Morning Britain this morning.
The former England international appeared on the show on Tuesday to discuss the return of his gameshow Sitting on a Fortune but Madeley couldn't resist grilling the BBC presenter on the impartiality row he was embroiled in earlier this year.
The Match of the Day host was embroiled in a row with the Corporation over impartiality after tweeting about the language the government had used towards refugees and surrounding the migrant crisis.
Gary clashed with Richard in what viewers branded a “car crash” interview as the ITV host attempted to grill him on the fallout of the row.
Appearing on the The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X immediately after his GMB appearance, Gary didn’t pull any punches as he blasted the broadcaster over the interview just minutes into his radio appearance.
Gary savagely likened Richard to Steve Coogan’s socially inept and politically incorrect media personality character Alan Partridge that he created for the 1991 BBC Radio 4 comedy programme On the Hour - a spoof of British current affairs broadcasting.
Host Chris Moyles asked Gary how his day had been so far, to which he replied: “Well, it’s been, interesting…little interview with Mr Madeley, remember him?”
Chris laughed and responded: “It was a joy to watch, knowing that any second now you’d be going from there [Good Morning Britain] to here, or not, or you going, ‘I’m going home now, I don’t need this’, you’ve gone on ITV to talk about your new show on ITV and you get a grilling.”
Gary then took aim at the GMB presenter, blasting: “Well, you know… Richard Partridge Madeley, we know what you’re like… it was fine.”
Back in March, the row between Lineker and the Beeb began when the former England footballer responded to a video posted by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, about stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats.
He wrote: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful,” and responding to comments, likened the Government’s language to that of 1930s Germany.
This morning, Richard Madeley claimed the BBC broadcaster compared the UK Government to 1930s Nazi Germany but Gary immediately hit back accusing the presenter of "misrepresenting him" and denied referring to any one in government as a "Nazi".
Defending himself, Gary argued he was specifically talking about language he felt uncomfortable with such as terms including "invasions, swarms, rapists, criminals".
"People who are fleeing persecution awful circumstances all I was saying was that we could use kinder language," he stated.
Richard asked: "What would you like to say Tory MPs, you don't have to say anything, but those who say you can be a politician or a public broadcaster?"
"I think I can [speak politically] and I am and I think it's really important if you've got a big platform to use it for good that's what I've always done and try to do. People who complain about this are often campaigners of free speech, you can't have it both ways," Gary replied.
The GMB presenter was asked if he felt there was a "conflict" between working for the BBC and tweeting on political subjects.
Gary stated he was "freelance" and pointed out he was discussing his gameshow broadcast on ITV.
"You're doing it a bit now, you're taking things out of proportion. It was a silly story because I was misrepresented."
GMB viewers took to Twitter to comment on the heated exchanged as one wrote: "Gary is livid lol #gmb," while another said: "Madeley making himself look an absolute whopper here as usual. Lineker is a king. #GMB."
"Richard Madeley keeps deliberately misrepresenting what Gary Lineker tweeted. #GMB," a third added and another quipped: "Gary won't say it but I will "shut up Richard" #gmb."
Someone else tweeted: "Wow! @GMB you really made Richard take the smile off Gary’s face and the lightness of the interview away, just to look like a poor man’s Piers Morgan #GMB."
"I think @GaryLineker is handling all of this very very well actually. His tweet did indeed centre around the language used (invasions, swarms, rapists, criminals) #gmb #goodmorningbritain @GMB," another added.
The Chris Moyles Show is on Radio X weekdays from 06:30 – 10:00 and on Global Player.
