Gary Lineker reunites with estranged brother Wayne after 17-year fallout

Metro

2 days ago

Following a 17-year feud, Gary Lineker and brother Wayne have seemingly reconciled.
The sports pundit, 64, and entrepreneur, 63, are believed to have fallen out amid Gary's marriage to second wife Danielle Bux, which lasted from 2009 to 2016.
But both looked closer than ever as they reunited for Gary's second-oldest son's wedding over the weekend.
Harry, 31, tied the knot with his fiancée Annabelle in Ibiza, where the drinks were flowing and celebrations turned raucous pretty swiftly.
Sharing content to Instagram from the special occasion, Gary was captured downing alcohol from a bottle before it was passed to his younger brother.
Wayne also posted pics alongside his kids, the O Beach owner being a proud father to four children from his first marriage.
As son Freddie towered over him, the dad and son duo posed by the pool, Wayne dressed in white trousers and a beige blazer.
His caption read: 'The boys are ready for the big family wedding today as my nephew @harry_lineker weds the beautiful @bellacfh_ 💍🧡
'My boy @freddie_lineker looking good 🔥'
In a later post, he stood with his arm around daughter Tia, who wore a gold slip dress.
'Princess goals 🧡', he penned sweetly.
Meanwhile, Gary is yet to share any of his own content from the celebrations or reply to Wayne's social media uploads.
As for the history of their so-called feud, it dates back to 2008, when Gary brought Danielle to Ibiza for a family holiday.
Speaking to The Sun in April 2015, Wayne mused: 'In my opinion, Danielle cost me my relationship with my brother.'
'Sadly, Gary is no longer a part of my life,' he confessed.
'They came to Ibiza in August 2008, and it was really awkward. I didn't spark with Danielle, and our relationship was cold.'
It's believed their frequent phone calls and home visits then ceased, with Wayne claiming the frosty atmosphere with Danielle – who 'stayed in her room' on the first day and did not socialise at night – caused the friction.
He says he never had a conversation with her during the trip.
Consequently, Wayne did not attend Gary and Danielle's wedding, despite the sibling being best man at Gary's first wedding to Michelle Cockayne in 1986.
Wayne refused to go because his then-girlfriend of 18 months, Ana Tanaka, was also not invited.
'She was a lovely, polite girl, and not a five-minute girlfriend,' Wayne previously defended.
The club owner claims he has attempted to build bridges over the years, including for Gary's 50th birthday celebrations.
However, they shared a phone call that lasted mere seconds.
'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,' Wayne said.
Ultimately, Gary and Danielle announced in January 2016 that they were divorcing, the reason given being that Gary did not want more kids.
As for the perspective of the Leicester-born footie star, it was once claimed that he didn't approve of Wayne's lifestyle.
In a 2015 interview, Wayne's old friend and former PR man, Neil Deal, claimed: 'Gary had a bit of a problem with Wayne's party lifestyle.
'He and his brother used to get along well enough, but they were worlds apart.
'And as Gary became more famous in sport and TV, Wayne seemed to become more of a party animal to compensate, and they just grew apart.'
Some of the latest comments from either brother on the matter came from Wayne in 2017, when he suggested they were finally on somewhat better terms.
Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, he revealed they were 'talking' again.
'We are not how we were years and years ago, but we speak more now,' he shared, adding that they were '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.'
Nevertheless, Wayne has always been close with Gary's sons George, Harry, Angus, and Tobias, who often fly out to see him in Ibiza, with George specifically visiting 'three times a year'.
'All the boys are fantastic; they are all mad and love a drink, love a girl, and there is nothing wrong with that,' Wayne previously spilled. 'Whereas my boys, believe it or not… Dwayne, my eldest, is like Gary. He is the father of our relationship, not me. More Trending
'My son ends up looking after me. I'll be sitting on the streets of San Antonio at 7am, acting an idiot, and he will come and say, 'Dad, what are you doing?''
Wayne has also insisted he is Gary's 'biggest fan', joking once that he is now 'very good at presenting' after being 'absolutely rubbish' when he first started.
Last month, Gary signed off from hosting Match of the Day one last time, having fronted the BBC highlights show for 26 years and sat comfortably as their highest-paid star with a salary of £1.4million.
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