Britain’s prime soccer host is not going to entrance 2026 World Cup protection for the broadcaster and is ‘bowing out by mutual settlement’ after backlash to a social media submit about Zionism.
Gary Lineker, a former England captain and the face of soccer on British tv for greater than 20 years, will depart the BBC, the general public broadcaster mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
Lineker, 64, had been as a result of cowl the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the BBC, however his early departure comes after he apologised final week for sharing a social media submit about Zionism which featured an image of a rat, traditionally used as an anti-Semitic insult.
Lineker mentioned that he deleted the posts after studying of the offensive references.
In keeping with a number of British media experiences, the high-profile host is “bowing out by mutual settlement”.
He rose to turn out to be the BBC’s highest-paid star after presenting its Match of the Day (MOTD) highlights present for 25 years. The BBC introduced final November that he would step down from MOTD this yr, however keep on working for it till 2026.
“Gary has acknowledged the error he made. Accordingly, now we have agreed he’ll step again from additional presenting after this season,” BBC director common Tim Davie mentioned in an announcement.
Lineker repeated his apology on Monday, saying he would by no means consciously repost something anti-Semitic.
“I recognise the error and upset that I brought on, and reiterate how sorry I’m,” he mentioned. “Stepping again now feels just like the accountable plan of action.”
Voicing Palestinian help
In recent times, Lineker’s need to place ahead his political beliefs on social media has brought on complications for the BBC, which has strict guidelines on impartiality.
He was quickly taken off air in 2023 after he criticised the earlier authorities’s immigration coverage on social media. In 2018, he opposed Brexit and referred to as for a second referendum.
However it was Lineker’s help for the Palestinians affected by the warfare on Gaza that the majority not too long ago introduced him into battle with the BBC.
Lineker had already brought on friction on the public broadcaster when he not too long ago mentioned Israel was in charge for the origins of the Gaza battle, as a result of it turned the occupied territory into an “outside jail”.
Talking on Might 9 in an interview with The Telegraph on the Soccer Enterprise Awards, simply days earlier than he was accused of the anti-Semitic social submit on X, Lineker expressed that his points are with the Israeli authorities relatively than Jewish individuals.
“Clearly, October 7 was terrible, nevertheless it’s crucial to know your historical past and to check the massacres that occurred previous to this, a lot of them towards the Palestinian individuals,” he mentioned within the interview with The Telegraph, which was revealed final Thursday, on Might 15.
“Sure, Israelis have a proper to defend themselves. However it seems that Palestinians don’t – and that’s the place it’s mistaken. Palestinians are caged on this outside jail in Gaza, and now it’s an out of doors jail that they’re bombing,” Lineker added.
In the identical interview, the TV host additionally disputed whether or not Israel may justifiably argue that it was nonetheless appearing in self-defence. “I perceive that they wanted to avenge, however I don’t assume they’ve helped their very own hostage state of affairs in any respect,” Lineker mentioned.
“Individuals say it’s a posh situation, however I don’t assume it’s. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to trigger large issues, and I simply really feel for the Palestinians.”
The previous striker performed for England for eight years till 1992 and had been a prime scorer for Leicester Metropolis, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur within the Nineteen Eighties and early Nineteen Nineties.
He’s additionally the co-founder of a podcasting manufacturing enterprise, Goalhanger, which makes collection such because the podcasts The Relaxation Is Historical past and The Relaxation Is Soccer.
Lineker will depart his function on the BBC on Sunday after his remaining episode of Match of the Day.
