Mark Chapman opened Saturday night's Match of the Day with a witty line in the absence of lead presenter Gary Lineker.
Lineker, 62, was told by BBC bosses last Friday to step back from hosting duties after breaching their impartiality guidelines when criticising the UK government's new Illegal Migration Bill. After a weekend of behind-the-scenes drama and crisis talks, the issue was resolved on Monday and it was soon confirmed that the former England striker would be back on our screens this weekend.
However, Lineker wasn't due to appear back on Match of the Day because he was already pencilled in to present live coverage of Manchester City's FA Cup quarter-final clash with Burnley on Saturday evening, which finished 6-0 and wrapped up just a few hours before MOTD aired. Primed to step in was the reliable Chapman, who usually helms Match of the Day 2 on Sundays, and he made sure to reference any confusion that viewers may've had when they turned in.
"Evening, we've highlights from six Premier League games for you on tonight's Match of the Day, with a focus on the battle for survival," Chapman, who pulled out of working for BBC Radio 5Live last Saturday in solidarity with Lineker, began. "Ashley Williams and Dion Dublin are with us, and before you ask, I was booked for this weeks ago."
His pointed final line drew a smile from Williams, while fellow pundit Dublin couldn't hold in a laugh. But in case any bemused football fans had missed Chapman's introduction, Lineker hopped on Twitter to assure them that all was well.
"For those who missed it and are asking, I presented BBC MOTD's live FA Cup game earlier this evening," the 62-year-old explained. "MOTD tonight was always going to be presented by the brilliant Mark Chapman. It will have good replays so you can see what happened and understand penalty calls," he added, seemingly a jibe at GB News' alternative Match of the Day last weekend which was panned by viewers.
Have your say! Who'll be relegated from the Premier League? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
Lineker's impartiality saga now seems to have settled down following crunch talks with the BBC hierarchy. After a host of pundits and reporters like Chapman showed solidarity last weekend by not working for the national broadcaster, Lineker made his first return to television screens in the UK on Friday night as part of Viaplay's coverage ahead of Sunday's El Clasico fixture between his former club, Barcelona, and Spanish rivals Real Madrid.
Asked by presenter Semra Hunter how his week had been, he cheekily replied: "Really quiet, nothing much going on." Both the ex-footballer and Hunter chuckled before he continued: "Yes, you could say it's been an interesting week but I'm still here, still punching.
"It was interesting and also hugely gratifying, I had an amazing amount of support from my friends and colleagues which was quite beautiful actually. It was totally disproportionate, the whole thing. But we're okay, it's resolved, I'm relieved, I'm back to work tomorrow and all is well with the world."
