Piers Morgan is planning to go head-to-head with Gary Lineker with his own podcast focused on the World Cup – and has launched it by poking fun at his rival broadcaster
Piers Morgan is planning to take on Gary Lineker for viewers after launching a rival podcast for the World Cup. Lineker will be on screen with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards after signing a big-money deal with Netflix – and now Morgan is challenging him.
Lineker’s Goalhanger company signed a £14million deal to link up with streaming giant Netflix to broadcast a show this summer. The Rest is Football will be filmed daily in the United States this summer as Netflix tries to break into a new market.
Morgan has now launched his attempt to take on Lineker and Co, with his show World Cup Uncensored, featuring John Terry and Simon Jordan, starting on June 8. His social media post declared it would bring “fearless debates, uncensored opinions” before delivering the dig at his rivals: “The rest is boring”.
The Telegraph have reported that the dig at The Rest is Football has not gone down well at Goalhanger, who declined to comment.
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“I would find it very, very hard to believe that Gary, in particular, wouldn’t have had a little chuckle. We’re good mates,” Morgan told The Telegraph. “Of course, if they took it over-seriously, it would be reflecting, perhaps, the accuracy of the joke.
“I know Gary really well. I’ve watched what they’ve been doing. I’ve got a lot of respect for it. I think it is the future. I think there’s plenty of room for both of us. But, as he would know, a little bit of banter goes a long way in football.”
He added: “We may have a sort of ‘High Noon’ with me and Gary in Times Square.”
Lineker, 65, left the BBC in May 2025 and says he has been freed by leaving the broadcaster behind. “I’ve got a bit more time, I’m not treading on quite so many eggshells these days, I’m allowed an opinion on things,” he said this week.
“But no, I had a wonderful period at the Beeb, and I’ve covered so many major tournaments, and obviously I was going to do this (the 2026 World Cup) originally, but now I’m doing something different, which is really exciting.”
He also questioned the BBC’s decision to broadcast the majority of the tournament from their studio in Salford, rather than follow ITV out to New York. “I’m a bit surprised the Beeb are not going until possibly the very latter stages of the competition. I won’t miss being in the green box itself, but I miss some of the company,” he added.
“But the fact we’ve got our own show now with loads of guests and stuff, that’s been replaced completely. We’re not in competition with the BBC in this, because obviously they’re focused on live football. We haven’t got the rights, but we’ve got a show that people can watch alongside.”
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