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Former England football captain Gary Lineker has been forced to leave his highly paid presenting role at the BBC following a row over an allegedly antisemitic social media post last week.
Lineker’s exit has been agreed “by mutual consent”, according to people with knowledge of the situation, which means he will depart the broadcaster without a pay-off. He is the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.4mn a year.
Lineker confirmed the decision on Monday, saying in a statement: “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 former footballer had been lined up to present next year’s World Cup, as well as the BBC’s FA Cup coverage, although he had already announced he would stand down as the lead anchor for football highlights show Match of the Day after the current season ends this summer.
His accelerated departure comes after Lineker shared a social media post on Instagram featuring a rat, which is widely seen as an antisemitic trope, as part of a video supporting Palestine.
Following an outcry, Lineker removed the video and said: “On Instagram, I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references. I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.”
BBC colleagues and executives were also angered following an interview in the Telegraph last week that blindsided the management and appeared to criticise his boss at the BBC, people within the broadcaster told the Financial Times.
One person with knowledge of the situation at the BBC described the situation as having become “untenable”, adding: “There is a huge amount of upset internally. This was the last straw. There is mutual recognition that he has had to go.”
Lineker led coverage of the FA Cup final for the BBC on Saturday, and is expected to bow out after next Sunday’s Match of the Day after a 26-year presenting career.
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.”
He has had a number of clashes with BBC management in the past. In 2023, he was suspended after comparing the Conservative government’s rhetoric over its asylum policy to that of Nazi Germany, but was quickly reinstated after colleagues walked out in support.
Davie last week told an audience in Manchester: “The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us. We absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC values and follow our social media policy. Simple as that.”
Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcasts business makes hit shows such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Entertainment.
