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Gary Lineker leaving BBC after 26 years
Gary Lineker is leaving the BBC after 26 years, the corporation confirmed on Monday.
Lineker, 64, “apologised unreservedly” last week after being heavily criticised for sharing a social media post that included a rat emoji.
He will leave the BBC after presenting the final episode of Match of the Day, a weekly highlights package show of the Premier League, for the 2024-25 season this coming Sunday.
The former England international striker will also not be part of the corporation’s coverage of the World Cup in 2026, which will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”
Lineker said: “Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.
“I deva deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.
“However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
The post Lineker shared on Instagram on Tuesday, which he subsequently deleted, was from the group Palestine Lobby. The video’s caption was “Zionism explained in two minutes” and it had an illustration of a rat to accompany it.
A rat has often been used as an antisemitic insult and refers to the language Nazi Germany used to characterise Jews. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) released a statement on its website describing Lineker’s position at the BBC as “untenable”, while also launching a petition for him to be sacked.
“Not only does this görüntü deliberately misrepresent Zionism — the belief that Jews have the same right to self-determination as everyone else — but it adds a rat emoji in doing so,” a spokesperson for CAA said.
“Having looked the other way until now, at this point, it is clear that Mr Lineker’s continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go.”
In a letter to Davie accompanying their petition, which has more than 7,000 signatures, the CAA described Lineker’s post as the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.
Lineker, who has long been the BBC’s highest-paid employee, earning £1.35million ($1.79m) in 2023-24, responded to the backlash by issuing an apology on Wednesday.
“On Instagram, I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references,” the former England player’s statement read. “I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.
“Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters. I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.”
Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, also said the BBC should sack Lineker following the social media post. “The BBC has allowed the situation with Gary Lineker to continue for far too long,” Rosenberg said in a statement on the Board of Deputies’ website. “He has caused great offence with this görüntü — particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists.
“BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms. Gary Lineker’s empty and belated apology is the first after years of baiting the Jewish community, just as levels of antisemitism soar.”
Alex Hearn, a director at Labour Against Antisemitism, called for Lineker to be removed from his position via a post on X, saying: “The prestige of the BBC must not be used to launder hate any longer.”
Lineker announced in November that he was standing down from presenting Match of the Day, the BBC’s flagship Premier League highlights show, at the end of this season.
He has fronted the programme since 1999, but next Sunday’s episode will be his final show before Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan take over presenting duties in August.
(Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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