5 days ago
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Soccer pundit Gary Lineker is expected to leave the BBC sooner than planned following an antisemitism row, according to BBC News.
Last week, Lineker shared a social media post about Zionism containing an illustration of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult. The presenter apologized, saying he would never knowingly have shared anything antisemitic.
According to BBC News, it is understood Lineker, the highest-paid BBC presenter, will no longer present coverage of the soccer World Cup in 2026, or next season’s FA Cup matches, as was expected. Instead, he’s expected to leave the corporation after the final “Match of the Day” program on Sunday. A formal announcement is expected today. Variety has reached out to the BBC for comment.
This isn’t Lineker’s first controversy. In 2023, the BBC said it had had a ‘frank conversation'” with the star after he criticized the government’s asylum policy, comparing the language to “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”
In response, the BBC determined that he had breached their social media guidelines and Lineker was required to step back from hosting for several days.
Earlier this month, Lineker appeared to criticize the new boss of BBC Sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, telling the Telegraph he had “no television experience,” while urging him not to make changes to “Match of the Day.”
And, in an interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, Lineker said he sensed the BBC wanted him to leave as he negotiated a new contract last year.
Last week, when BBC director-general Tim Davie was asked whether Lineker broke the rules with his post, he replied: “When it comes to presenters, I just say that the BBC’s reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us. And I think we absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC values and follow our social media policy. Simple as that.”
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