Gary Lineker, the former England football captain, will depart from the BBC at the conclusion of the current season, it was officially confirmed on Monday. This announcement comes just days after Lineker shared a social media post containing anti-Semitic imagery.
In a statement, the BBC announced, “Gary Lineker will leave his presenting role following the conclusion of Match of the Day for the 2024/25 season.”
“He will not be part of the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup coverage,” the broadcaster added.
Last week, Lineker issued an “unreserved” apology for sharing an Instagram story related to Zionism, which he later deleted. The post featured an image of a rat, and Lineker expressed, “I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.”
In a new statement on Monday, 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 care 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 recognize the error and upset that I caused and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,” he added.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie commented, “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.”
Davie referred to Lineker as a “defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades.”
Lineker, 64, had already planned to end his 26-year tenure as host of the popular Premier League highlights show Match of the Day at the season’s conclusion. However, he had been scheduled to lead the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup and next season’s FA Cup.
As a result, Sunday’s Match of the Day, following the final round of Premier League fixtures, will mark Lineker’s final appearance on the programme.
Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earned £1.35 million ($1.8 million) annually from the publicly funded broadcaster. His outspoken social media posts have raised concerns for BBC executives due to the corporation’s impartiality rules.
In March 2023, Lineker was temporarily taken off air after he compared the language used by the British government to launch its asylum policy to Nazi-era German rhetoric. Following a public outcry and support from several colleagues, Lineker was reinstated within a week. However, the incident led to the BBC commissioning an independent review of its social media guidelines.
— AFP
