Legendary Disney film interrupts Chelsea vs Crystal Palace, in funny viral moment

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Chelsea beat Crystal Palace in the semi-final of the FA Cup – but the game was hijacked briefly by a scene from 1994 classic 'The Lion King'

Patrick Vieira
(Image credit: Getty)

Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in the second FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium yesterday afternoon… and some would say that's the Circle of Life.

Football matches are often interrupted by pitch invaders and the like but TV cameras usually do not show them. However, this weekend, one particular hijacker was broadcast to the world, as ITV accidentally cut away from the game for a second to show moments from 1994 Disney classic, 'The Lion King'. 

The movie, which centres around the titular big cat Simba dealing with his father's passing and his responsibilities to become monarch of his homeland (it's for kids, honest), was shown on BBC1 yesterday as part of the channel's Easter Sunday celebrations. 

Social media was quick to point out the gaffe, asking one another whether or not it was just them that had witnessed the moment, in which a scene featuring Mufasa, Simba and Zazu – not to be confused with former West Ham United striker, Simeone Zaza – flashed up on the screen while Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in shot. 

Some speculated whether or not Palace manager Patrick Vieira was in fact watching the film on his iPad from the dugout, given the camera angles and how coverage cut straight to a shot of the Frenchman.

It's not been confirmed yet why the technical error occurred or whether ITV have a direct feed to BBC – nor, thankfully, have Disney's lawyers yet outlined how they will sue Channel 3 for broadcasting their film without permission. 

'The Lion King' was remade in 2019 into a live-action extravaganza featuring the likes of Donald Glover and Beyonce in the lead roles. 

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Mark White
Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.