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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Ekin Karasin

Gabby Logan abruptly shuts down Micah Richards over BBC joke on touchy subject: 'You can't say that'

Gabby Logan told off Micah Richards for making fun of the BBC’s decision to remain in Salford for most of their World Cup coverage.

Logan, Richards, Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart were at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the Spain vs Argentina match on Sunday - but had been in a studio in the UK for much of the tournament.

Gary Lineker - who left the BBC last year - had previously teased the broadcaster over their decision to stay in the UK while rival channel ITV headed up their coverage from New York.

And it appeared like the topic was even unpopular among the BBC’s own pundits, with Richards sharing his dismay during a chat about World Cup highlights.

After Logan said none of her colleagues had praised the supporters present throughout the tournament, Richards said they hadn’t gotten to experience the fans.

Logan said: "I think the fans have been incredible at this tournament. Every single nation, but there were certain countries like Norway. Fans who really lit it up."

Richards quipped: "There are not that many fans in Salford!"

Logan was quick to hit back: "You can't say the S-word again."

It comes after Lineker, who works with Richards on his The Rest Is Football podcast, has been able to work in the US since leaving the BBC.

“This World Cup will be different because of all the other ones I’ve done at the BBC. I would have been in Salford in the green box, and now I’m in New York City, at Times Square,” he previously said.

“This will be exciting and something very different but still very similar to the podcast.”

Logan, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards (BBC)
Logan, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards (BBC)

The Match of the Day veteran has appeared on ITV since his BBC exit and even replicated his trademark introduction during his recent debut.

"Thank you very much for joining us on ITV for this one," he said. "Another day, another game, another channel.”

The football legend left MOTD in May after 26 years after sharing a pro-Palestine video on social media that criticised Zionism and featured an image of a rat, a widely recognised antisemitic trope that Nazi Germany used as propaganda to dehumanise Jews.

Lineker later said he had not seen the illustration and removed the post "as soon as he became aware of the issue”, adding that he would "never knowingly share anything antisemitic”.

Richards with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on their The Rest Is Football show (PA)
Richards with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on their The Rest Is Football show (PA)

He was replaced by Logan, Mark Chapman, and Kelly Cates, who alternately present the show.

Speaking to The Standard about his departure, Lineker said it’s “great” that he doesn’t have to “tread on eggshells” anymore.

“I missed something. It wasn’t deliberate,” he said of the social media post that sparked backlash.

“I missed an emoji… I don’t think there’s a single person that believed I would do something like that, because I would never associate any group of people, any person, with a rodent, obviously.

“Why would I be stupid? I am stupid, but not that stupid. So I think everyone accepted that and I thought the apology should have been enough. But it wasn’t.”

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