The Secret Behind Match of the Day’s Infamous ‘Dad Jokes’ Revealed
For over two decades, Gary Lineker has been the face of the iconic BBC football show, Match of the Day. But alongside the expert analysis and highlight reels, the former England striker has also become synonymous with a very different type of "footwork" – his cringe-worthy, yet lovable, "dad jokes" at the end of each episode.
In a recent interview, Lineker finally spilled the beans on how these groan-inducing gems come to be. It turns out, he’s not the sole creator of these puns, but rather shares the credit with his trusty editor, Richard Hughes.
"I’m going to share a little secret here," Lineker quipped, "our editor, Richard Hughes, and I have a kind of disease – an infection, as we just can’t help but make dad jokes."
It seems the duo sits down after each game to come up with the perfect ending, dividing their efforts 50/50. They then agonize over which one is "crappy, cheesy, and occasionally funny" enough to make the cut.
"I always think if you’re going to do a pun, make it really, really bad or really, really cheesy because that in itself is fun," Lineker explained.
But how did this tradition start? As it turns out, it all dates back to the show’s former host, Des Lynam, who encouraged Lineker to have a bit of fun and be memorable.
"It really started because Des Lynam used to think of clever little endings and funny endings, and he always said to me ‘Don’t be afraid to have a little fun, sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t but it will make you memorable’," Lineker recalled.
And there you have it – the secret behind Match of the Day’s legendary "dad jokes" is a collaborative effort between Lineker and his editor, inspired by the show’s earlier days under Des Lynam’s hosting.
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