Gary Lineker and comedian Michael McIntyre discovered Tottenham Hotspur’s north London derby humiliation in a manner arguably more painful than watching the defeat unfold live, after being shut away from all match coverage as part of a new Sky Sports concept.
Spurs were thrashed 4–1 by Arsenal at the Emirates as Eberechi Eze scored a devastating hat-trick, but Lineker and McIntyre were left to learn the result only after the final whistle in a controlled reveal that captured their shock and dismay.
The pair were participating in a forthcoming programme called In The Box, a format that isolates selected supporters from both clubs in a sealed room without phone access or live broadcasts.
Fans are instead fed small fragments of information-teasers, still images and cryptic clues throughout the match.
Only at full-time is the full score announced. For this episode, Lineker, a former Spurs striker, and McIntyre, one of Britain’s most well-known Tottenham fans, were pitted against Arsenal followers enduring the same suspense.
Sky Sports released a clip of the experiment shortly after the derby concluded.
The footage shows both sets of supporters being given minimal insight into the game as it progressed, including a still image of Declan Rice missing a clear first-half chance.
Gary Lineker and comedian Michael McIntyre discovered Tottenham Hotspur’s north London derby humiliation in a manner arguably more painful than watching the defeat unfold live, after being shut away from all match coverage as part of a new Sky Sports concept
|SKY
Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWSWith nothing else to go on, the groups could only speculate, cling to hope or assume the worst.
Hopes on both sides persisted until the final countdown revealed the scoreline and the reaction was nothing short of brutal.
As soon as “Arsenal 4–1 Tottenham” flashed up, the room erupted into contrasting scenes: jubilant Arsenal fans exploded into celebration, racing around the set, while Lineker and McIntyre stood motionless with their disappointment evident.
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Gary Lineker and Michael McIntyre were left disappointed after learning Arsenal had trounced Tottenham
|SKY
Lineker’s emotional response was unsurprising given his links to Tottenham.
Although most widely recognised now as a broadcaster and self-confessed Leicester City supporter, he scored 80 goals in 138 games during his three-year spell at Spurs between 1989 and 1992, winning the FA Cup with the club in 1991.
McIntyre, whose stand-up tours regularly sell out across the UK, has spoken on multiple occasions about his lifetime allegiance to Tottenham, making him a fitting candidate for the show.
The derby itself offered little comfort for any Spurs supporter.
Arsenal dominated from the outset, with Leandro Trossard forcing the opener before Eze took control with a decisive hat-trick.
Tottenham barely threatened until Richarlison scored a long-range consolation, by which point the match had long slipped away from Thomas Frank’s side.
Eberechi Eze's sublime hat-trick has moved Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League table | REUTERSSky Sports pundits were shown the In The Box clip immediately after the full-time broadcast, and former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand did not mince words.
“Tottenham were that bad today. It was embarrassing to watch,” he said, suggesting that Lineker and McIntyre had been spared by being unable to witness the defeat in real time.
“Halfway through this game I was hoping I could go ‘in the box’ with Michael McIntyre. I didn’t want to watch it anymore.
"You can’t come to Arsenal in the north London derby and not put everything on the line."
Tottenham will be seeking a return to winning ways when they face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night (8pm).
Arsenal will do battle with Bayern Munich that same night.