James O'Brien meets Gary Lineker | Full Disclosure

Gary Lineker has scored in World Cups, fronted the nation’s biggest football programme, and weathered a political firestorm that nearly ended it all. But at the height of his success, turning to a teammate after scoring four for England, his reaction was disbelief: “Why am I so f**ing lucky?”

In this live edition of Full Disclosure, James O’Brien charts the full arc of Lineker’s extraordinary career. From a market trader’s son in Leicester to Golden Boot winner and the face of Match of the Day, Gary reflects on self doubt, ambition, and the surreal reality of becoming a national institution.

He opens up about the brutal culture of tabloid scrutiny, the shock of discovering he had been followed by investigators, and the emotional weekend when the BBC stood him down- only for colleagues to walk out in solidarity. He explains why he refused to apologise when he believed he was right, the mistake that ultimately cost him his role, and why speaking out became unavoidable.

Funny, disarmingly honest, and unexpectedly vulnerable, this is Gary Lineker as you have never quite heard him before- on luck, loyalty, outrage, and starting again.

This episode was recorded at The Royal Geographical Society to raise money for charity Make Some Noise. You can find more information about the charity at

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