Wayne and Gary Lineker's bitter feud: How brothers' falling out over BBC star's ex wife Danielle Bux rumbled on for 17 YEARS - as tensions finally thaw at family wedding
For almost two decades the Lineker family has been in turmoil over brothers Wayne and Gary's feud.
The pair chose very different career paths from the off - with Gary, 64, dedicating his life to football punditry and hosting Match Of The Day on the BBC for 25 years before leaving the show last month.
Meanwhile wild Wayne, 63, turned his love of partying into a successful business - now running the hugely-popular O Beach Club in Ibiza.
Their feud began when Wayne made it clear he didn't get on with Gary's ex wife Danielle Bux and the pair have since struggled to find common ground.
But after years of avoiding each other - they reunited at Gary's son Harry's wedding in Ibiza over the weekend, marking the first time they have been seen in the same room together for years.
In a video shared to Instagram, Gary necked back an alcoholic drink before the bottle was passed to his entrepreneur younger brother, with the pair having seemingly buried the hatchet for the family event.
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Gary shares Harry, 31 - as well as other sons George, 34, Tobias, 29, and Angus, 27, with ex wife Michelle Cockayne who he tied the knot with in 1986.
And Wayne is still close with Gary's sons who often share snaps visiting O Beach with their friends during lavish holidays and stag dos to Ibiza - making the invite to Harry's wedding only natural.
Gary is also now entering a new stage of his life having left the BBC amid his explosive anti-Semitic rat post row.
His previously clean-cut image as the face of one of the BBC's biggest shows often seemed to jar with Wayne's party boy antics at the club - but now that his TV work is taking a back seat there could be room for the pair to reconcile.
However Danielle is still very much in Gary's life with with the presenter previously admitting some might find their friendship 'unusual' as they speak 'three times a day'.
Gary and Wayne's feud dates back to 2008, when former England and Barcelona striker Gary started seeing Danielle Bux and brought her on holiday to Ibiza.
'In my opinion, Danielle cost me my relationship with my brother. Sadly Gary is no longer a part of my life,' Wayne told The Sun in April 2015.
Wayne was left confused when their weekly phone conversations and home visits ended abruptly - but he blames it on an awkward first encounter with Danielle, who Gary married in 2009 but divorced in 2016.
'They came to Ibiza in August 2008 and it was really awkward. I didn't spark with Danielle and our relationship was cold,' said Wayne.
Wayne claimed that Danielle stayed in her room on the first day and they did not speak to one another during a night out the following night.
The influencer did not want to risk upsetting his brother by bringing the tension up with Gary - but Wayne never spoke to Danielle after the holiday.
He was the best man at Gary's first wedding to ex-wife Michelle Cockayne in 1986, but he was not even a guest at his brother's second set of nuptials.
The club owner refused to attend because his brother told him that he couldn't bring his then-girlfriend, Ana Tanaka, who he been with for 18 months.
'She was a lovely, polite girl, and not a five-minute girlfriend,' argued Wayne.
Captioning his post, he penned: 'The boys are ready for the big family wedding today as my nephew @harry_lineker weds the beautiful @bellacfh_ #ibizawedding'
Wayne has claimed that he has tried to reconcile the relationship in the past, including on Gary's 50th birthday but a phone call between the pair lasted last less than a minute.
Wayne recently reflected on his 17-year feud with his brother, telling The Mail's Straight to the Comments! podcast that things remain strained between the two, noting: 'It's not so good to be honest, we don't really speak very often. I'll always be his number one fan.'
However, the duo have appeared to put their differences aside as they joined other family members to celebrate Harry's big day.
Wayne took to Instagram on Sunday to share a snap of himself looking dapper in a grey blazer and white trousers as he posed alongside son Freddie.
Captioning his post, he penned: 'The boys are ready for the big family wedding today as my nephew @harry_lineker weds the beautiful @bellacfh_ #ibizawedding.'
He then went on to add a picture of himself enjoying a glass of wine with daughter Tia, who looked gorgeous in a fringed champagne dress.
Meanwhile, Gary cut a very sharp figure in a tan blazer as he posed eldest son George, with their matching attire indicating they were both groomsmen.
Gary went on to share details of the nuptials on his The Rest Is Football podcast on Monday, telling co-host Alan Shearer: 'I had Harry's wedding which went swimmingly well.
'He had an amazing speech and the bride looked amazing, it was a beautiful day. The Sun was shining and it was great.'
The star went on to admit that he's a bit worse for wear following the wild celebrations, noting: 'I'm a bit fuzzy and a little bit jaded, yes! As you would expect.'
It comes as the long-serving Match of the Day host recently presented his final programme for the channel on the last day of the 2024-25 season.
Gary had been set to continue working with the BBC for next year's 2026 World Cup as the front man of the channel's coverage in North America, as well as leading FA Cup coverage.
But the England legend announced that he would step back from the broadcaster for good after becoming embroiled in controversy for sharing an Instagram story about Zionism featuring a rat - an antisemitic trope used by the Nazis to characterise Jewish people as vermin.
Announcing his exit in a BBC statement, the former England footballer said that he '(recognised) the error and upset that (he) caused.
'Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,' he added, stating that he 'would never consciously repost anything antisemitic'.
After Lineker shared his statement stepping back from the broadcaster, the BBC's director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski sent an email to staff minutes afterwards highlighting how 'difficult and emotional' the rolling controversy had been for many of his employees.
He added: 'It is sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster and I also want to thank Gary for his years of service'.
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