Gary Lineker, the England soccer great-turned-media celebrity, will leave his role as a presenter for the BBC after facing criticism for reposting an Instagram story about Zionism which featured a picture of a rat.
“Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made,” BBC director-general Tim Davie said.
“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years.
“There’s no place for it, and never should be.” Strained relationship with the BBC Lineker’s openness to reflect his political views on social media have caused growing friction with the BBC regarding its impartiality guidelines.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades,” Davie said.
The former England soccer star and media personality Gary Lineker is resigning from his position as a BBC presenter after receiving backlash for reposting an Instagram story about Zionism that included a rat image.
At the end of this season, the 64-year-old Lineker, who earns around 1 point 3 million pounds ($1 point 7 million) annually as the highest-paid presenter for the British national broadcaster, was scheduled to leave the flagship soccer highlights show “Match of the Day.” However, he will continue to work for the BBC to front other soccer coverage, including the men’s World Cup next year.
But in a statement released Monday, the BBC announced that Lineker will leave the company completely following the last “Match of the Day” show next weekend. This comes after he shared a post from Palestine Lobby that featured a picture of a rat and was titled, “Zionism explained in two minutes.”. “”.
Throughout history, antisemitic propaganda has used rats—which are associated with dirt and disease—to symbolize Jews, including by the Nazis in Germany in the 1930s.
Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, stated that Gary had admitted his error. It has been decided that he will no longer be presenting after this season. “.”.
Lineker had previously expressed regret for his actions, stating that he had reposted content last week that he later discovered contained “offensive references.” He also said that he immediately removed the post after learning of the problem and “would never knowingly share anything antisemitic.”. “”.
Before Lineker apologized, Davie stated that “when someone makes a mistake, it costs us” and that the company needed employees to be “exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies.”. “”.
“On the field and in the studio, football has been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember,” Lineker said in the BBC statement. “The game and the work I’ve done with the BBC over the years are very important to me.”. As I have stated, I would never intentionally repost anything that is antisemitic because it is incompatible with my values.
But once again, I apologize for the mistake and the annoyance I caused. Now it seems like the responsible thing to do is to back off. “”.
He made a “genuine mistake” and “should have been more diligent,” according to Lineker’s separate Instagram video post. “.”.
“Throughout my life, I have advocated for minorities, humanitarian causes, and all types of racism, including antisemitism, which I detest to the core,” he stated. It has no place and never ought to. “.”.
strained connection to the BBC.
There is increasing conflict between Lineker and the BBC over its impartiality policies as a result of his willingness to publicly express his political opinions on social media.
In March 2023, his remarks criticizing the new asylum policy of the then-Conservative government led to his temporary suspension from the company. It prompted the BBC to amend its social media posting guidelines to state that presenters of well-known non-news programs had a “duty to respect the BBC’s impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC.”. “”.
The BBC was urged to re-broadcast the documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone” on its streaming service, BBC iPlayer, by 500 prominent individuals, including Lineker. When the 13-year-old narrator revealed that he was the son of a Hamas official, the documentary was removed.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph newspaper last week, which was one day after he first apologized, Lineker criticized Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas in Gaza, calling those who remained silent about them “almost complicit.”. “”.
The media career of Lineker.
A national treasure, who has gained almost as much fame as a broadcaster as he did as a soccer player, has passed away from the BBC.
One of England’s best players, Lineker scored 48 goals in 80 games for his nation and led the scoring at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He later became a stylish, smart, and informed TV personality and an all-around media sensation, amassing 8 million X followers and 1.2 million Instagram followers. As a freelancer, he has worked for broadcasters like NBC, Al Jazeera, and BT Sport in addition to serving as the primary host of the BBC’s “Match of the Day” since 1999.
Lineker is the co-founder of the wildly popular “Goalhanger” podcasts, the creator of the well-liked “The Rest is History” series, and the creator of its spin-offs about politics, soccer, entertainment, and money. Lineker played club soccer for Everton, Tottenham, and Barcelona.
Response to Lineker’s exit.
Having become “a symbol of the rot at the heart of our national broadcaster,” the Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomed Lineker’s departure from the BBC. “.”.
Although he has acknowledged that voicing his opinions might make him a target, many people believe that this has made him one of the most well-liked people in Britain.
“For more than 20 years, Gary has been a defining voice in BBC football coverage,” Davie stated. “Sports fans in the UK and abroad respect him because of his enthusiasm and expertise, which have influenced our sports journalism.”. We would like to express our gratitude for his contribution. “.”.
Beginning with the 2025–2026 season, Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman, and Gabby Logan will host “Match of the Day,” a late-night show that has been a British institution since the 1960s. None of them have ever played soccer.
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