Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC apologises
Gary Lineker is to return to his first Match of the Day since his row with BBC bosses over his condemnation of government policy and rhetoric on asylum-seekers.
Much of the BBC’s football coverage effectively collapsed last weekend as fellow presenters, pundits and commentators withdrew their labour in solidarity with the former England player, who was reinstated on Monday.
Lineker will not be hosting the Match of the Day highlights show on Saturday night, however, having always been scheduled instead to front the BBC’s Match of the Day Live FA Cup coverage of the semi-final clash between Manchester City and Burnley.
With the row having intensified scrutiny of BBC bosses, the National Union of Journalists has warned that faith in the broadcaster’s director-general Tim Davie “is at an all-time low” – as journalists staged a walkout over proposed cuts to local radio.
It follows outrage within the Conservative ranks at the BBC’s climbdown over Mr Lineker, which saw the corporation apologise order an independent review of its social media guidelines.
BBC apologised to staff and viewers
The corporation apologised for a “difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters, and most importantly, our audiences”:
Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC apologises
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker will continue as a BBC presenter after the corporation apologised for a “difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters, and most importantly, our audiences”. Lineker did not appear on the football highlights programme over the weekend after he was told to stand down from the role after comparing language used to launch a new government asylum seeker policy to 1930s Germany in a tweet. Fellow pundits, presenters and commentators walked out in “solidarity” with Lineker, seriously impacting the weekend’s sporting coverage. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.
Jane Dalton18 March 2023 03:45
Presenter also earns from film and podcast company
Gary Lineker tops up £1.35m BBC salary with more licence fee money, The Telegraph has reported.
It says he and other BBC broadcasters have worked on podcasts or television programmes made by Lineker’s Goalhanger film and podcast companies.
A BBC spokesman told the paper: “Gary is a freelance presenter and his BBC pay for that role is published annually, under transparency obligations in the BBC Charter.
“This is entirely separate to any programmes the BBC commissions from Goalhanger Productions, an independent production company.”
Jane Dalton18 March 2023 01:50
What are BBC guidelines on impartiality?
What the BBC guidelines state and how they apply to Lineker:
Jane Dalton18 March 2023 00:10
Presenter backs UK trophy-hunt crackdown
Gary Lineker was among celebrities who supported a UK ban on imports of hunting trophies.
Jane Dalton17 March 2023 22:55
The tweets that started it all
The debacle began when Lineker tweeted the government’s small boats approach was “an immeasurably cruel policy”:
Jane Dalton17 March 2023 21:55
‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker’s first TV appearance since BBC suspension
Football presenter Gary Lineker has condemned the row over his suspension by the BBC because of his tweets as “totally disproportionate”:
Jane Dalton17 March 2023 19:34
What can we expect from a BBC social media review after the Lineker row?
The director-general at the BBC, Tim Davie, has announced a review into social media guidelines as he recognised “the potential confusion caused by the grey areas” of the guidance, following the recent impartiality row over a tweet by Gary Lineker.
Ahead of the recently announced review, we look at what we know so far and how the review may be conducted based on the 2020 update.
Andy Gregory17 March 2023 15:15
Watch: Keir Starmer tells Rishi Sunak to ‘stand up to snowflake MPs’ over Gary Lineker BBC row
Full exchange: Keir Starmer tells Rishi Sunak to ‘stand up to snowflake MPs’ over Gary Lineker BBC row
Andy Gregory17 March 2023 12:44
Ian Wright says ‘heads have got to roll’ after BBC management caused ‘hot mess’ over Gary Lineker row
Ian Wright has said “heads have got to roll” after managers at the BBC caused a “hot mess” at the weekend by asking Gary Lineker to step away from Match Of The Day.
During the beginning of the podcast Wrighty’s House, the 59-year-old said the row had been a “perfect distraction from what really matters”.
He added: “For me, they made a hot mess. I’m telling you, this is all from high up, I can’t blame my man (the head of BBC TV Sport) Philip Bernie, the BBC Sports team. All of this is over a tweet.”
Charlotte McLaughlin has the full report:
Andy Gregory17 March 2023 11:54
Stand up to snowflake MPs after Gary Lineker row, Starmer tells Sunak
Rishi Sunak must “stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech” following the Gary Lineker row, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader sought assurances that Conservative MPs or others connected to the party did not lobby the BBC to “effectively cancel” Match of the Day last weekend.
Richard Wheeler17 March 2023 10:47
