Cold Feet star John Thompson sticks boot into Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker TEAMtalk

Cold Feet star John Thomson has taken a swipe at Gary Lineker’s £1.75million salary and labelled his Match of the Day role a “Saturday job”.

Thomson has blasted the Beeb for rejecting the opportunity to make a Fast Show special on the grounds of cost, while paying Lineker close to £2million a year.

Thomson, 50, who was one of the original stars of the comedy sketch show when it was first aired in 1994, has claimed that The Fast Show’s creators had been approached to make a 25th anniversary special.

However, when Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson approached BBC bosses with the required budget the broadcaster stepped away from the plans.

“We’re hoping to do a special, which is very exciting,” he told BBC Manchester. “You heard it first here. We’re in talks, as they say.”

“Paul and Charlie were approached by the Beeb with a view to doing two new specials for Christmas. They went to the Beeb with a budget for everything that wasn’t extortionate for two half hours – and the powers that be said ‘no’.

“I was very shocked about that because the demand for a 25th anniversary would be huge. I told Paul and Charlie to go back in and say, ‘Why does Gary Lineker get £1.75 million for a Saturday job?.'”