Wayne Lineker says he ‘nearly died twice’ during seven week battle

Ibiza club owner Wayne Lineker has revealed he "was close to death twice" after contracting pneumonia.

The O Beach Ibiza co-founder, and brother of sports presenter Gary Lineker, explained that his immune system "crashed" following a stint in rehab earlier this year, leading to an infection he caught in Dubai.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Lineker detailed his challenging year. "I’ve gone through a lot this year, starting with my journey with alcohol, etc.," he told the programme.

He added that after "37 years in the industry and drinking pretty much every day for all that period of time," he felt "enough was enough."

The lifestyle "took its toll," he explained, leaving him in "a never-ending cycle of lack of energy in the mornings when I wake up."

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Describing a turning point during his drinking years, he said: “My son, Duane, called me in the office one day and said to me… because I’ve got two granddaughters in Ibiza that I pick up regularly from school, and he said to me, I went into the office, and he said, ‘Dad, we can’t have you picking the girls up from school any more.'”

Lineker was diagnosed with chronic pneumonia, which is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection.

Pneumonia is more widespread in autumn and winter and symptoms include pain when breathing, feeling light-headed and coughing up blood, according to the NHS website.

Lineker said: “I was close to death twice.

“I actually went to Dubai. I caught an infection, what I thought was very similar to Covid, so I was a bit worried.

“I jumped on the plane, put the mask on, and went home.

“And when I got home, this is about eight weeks ago now, nine weeks ago.

“When I got home, I was feeling really ill, so my infection that I had seemed to be getting worse.

“So I had a couple of hours’ sleep, and it was late at night because the flight didn’t land till late afternoon, and it was like two o’clock in the morning.

“And I went into bed, and my phone was over the other side of the room, and I woke up two hours later, and I couldn’t move at all.

“I wasn’t paralysed, but the pain I was receiving, because it attacked the lower spine and my back, and I managed to crawl to the phone, got out of my bed.

“It was probably the worst two minutes of my life. I was in so much pain, but I had to call an ambulance, of course. So I called the ambulance, and I couldn’t explain to them where I lived.”

He added: “I phoned my daughter. I knew she’d be awake in Dubai. It was like seven in the morning. She’s got a son.

“And I said I thought I was having a heart attack because it was all down this side. So I said, ‘Tia, I think I’m having a heart attack.’

“She’s super upset, obviously. And then she’s called her mum, who lives really close by, she’s come around, like, three in the morning and called the ambulance, and it was so horrific.”

Speaking about his brother Gary, he added: “He’s been sending me messages and well wishes.”

In social media posts, Lineker said he had two pneumonia “attacks” before being discharged from hospital on Boxing Day.

Lineker also revealed in a video posted to social media that he had been admitted to rehab for six weeks in July at which point his immune system “crashed” and he fought seven infections, including shingles.

In November he caught a “serious infection” and was diagnosed with chronic pneumonia, spending seven weeks in hospital.