Gary Lineker’s bitter 17-year feud with brother Wayne and the moment everything changed
A 17-year feud between Gary Lineker and his brother Wayne saw them barely speak to one another - and there was one woman at the centre of it all
Gary and Wayne Lineker were once inseparable brothers. The football legend, celebrating his 65th birthday today, is 18 months older than his nightclub mogul sibling who carved out his own reputation on the entertainment circuit.
Raised together in Leicester, the brothers maintained their closeness into adulthood, meeting twice weekly for rounds of golf and chatting frequently by telephone. Their bond appeared unshakeable until a complete rupture triggered a 17-year estrangement during which they had virtually no contact.
The near two-decade rift began when the former Match of the Day presenter started seeing ex-wife Danielle Bux in 2008, Wayne has revealed. In an April 2015 interview with The Sun, Wayne said: "In my opinion, Danielle cost me my relationship with my brother. Sadly Gary is no longer a part of my life."
The 63-year-old expressed bewilderment that their weekly calls and family visits ceased within 12 months, pointing to his initial encounter with the model as the catalyst. "They came to Ibiza in August 2008 and it was really awkward. I didn't spark with Danielle and our relationship was cold," Wayne added.
He alleged she remained in her accommodation throughout the opening day, and the two never spoke during an outing the following night. The Spanish holiday proved to be the final occasion he spoke with Danielle, and whilst he attended Gary's first marriage to former wife Michelle Cockayne in 1986, he was absent from the second ceremony in 2009.
READ MORE: Wayne Lineker reveals his secret rehab stint after reuniting with brother GaryREAD MORE: Gary Lineker and brother Wayne both pictured at family wedding amid 17 year feudWayne's absence from Gary's wedding stemmed from his then-partner, model Ana Tanaka, being excluded from the guest list, prompting him to take a principled stance. "He was my brother and he was telling me that I couldn't bring my girlfriend of a year and a half to his wedding.
"She was a lovely, polite girl, and not a five-minute girlfriend," Wayne explained. A reconciliation effort on Gary's 50th birthday via telephone lasted under 60 seconds, leaving Wayne uncertain about prospects for reuniting with his elder sibling.
He previously admitted: "I would love nothing more than him to call me up tomorrow and ask to go to lunch to speak about it, but I don't think it's going to happen." Yet circumstances shifted in August 2017 when Wayne disclosed the brothers had resumed communication, though their bond hadn't fully recovered to its pre-dispute state.
"We talk now," Wayne revealed at the time. "We are not how we were years and years ago, but we speak more now," Wayne told The Sunday Mirror. "We are slowly getting there. It's important. He's my brother. We were so close. We used to play golf twice a week, go to each other's houses and speak every day on the phone."
But in scenes that delighted fans across the country, the siblings put their feud behind them when they reunited at Wayne's daughter Tia's wedding ceremony earlier this summer.
Tia, 26, tied the knot with Harry Agombar in Majorca, with her proud father looking sharp in a black suit as he escorted her down the aisle. Wayne shared the photograph of himself with Gary on Instagram, writing: "Great to see my bro and my nephews at my daughters wedding."
Source: Read Original Article
