Viewers claim to have detected the sound of a moaning woman coinciding with Gary Lineker’s presentation of the football highlights show. Following the airing of Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Burnley in the Premier League, the broadcast returned to the studio. During Lineker’s introduction of the key discussion points, some viewers are adamant that explicit sounds were audible.
While some believe it to be a prank played on someone in the studio, social media became a platform for discussion. One user expressed surprise, stating, “Not someone in the Match Of The Day studio being done 8 seconds in…” Another questioned if it was related to a viral meme video with a particular sound. A third drew parallels to a previous incident, commenting, “Not dissimilar to the Match of the Day porn prank audio.” A fourth humorously remarked, “Listen to the background! hahaha.”
Surprisingly, the suggestive sounds seemingly went unnoticed by Lineker, Jermaine Jenas, and Ashley Williams on the set. The BBC, however, clarified to SunSport that the noises were, in fact, celebratory sounds from Arsenal’s festivities visible in the background.
This incident is not the first time explicit noises have disrupted sports broadcasts. In a previous occurrence in January, BBC One’s live FA Cup coverage fell victim to a prank orchestrated by YouTube personality Daniel Jarvis during Wolves’ match against Liverpool. Jarvis set up a phone in the broadcaster’s studio playing sounds that viewers likened to those from an adult film. Following the incident, the BBC issued an apology to any offended viewers.