Gary Lineker will “step back” from presenting until an agreement is reached on his use of social media, the BBC announced on Friday. The former England footballer, who fronts the flagship *Match of the Day* show, sparked an impartiality row after comparing the language used to launch the British government’s new asylum policy to the rhetoric of Nazi‑era Germany. A BBC spokesperson said the corporation had been in extensive discussions with Lineker and his team and considered his recent social‑media activity a breach of its guidelines. Consequently, the BBC decided that he will step back from *Match of the Day* until a clear, agreed‑upon position on his social‑media use is established.
The controversy began when Lineker responded on Twitter to a video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled plans to stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. Lineker, 62, wrote: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ’30s.” The Conservative government intends to outlaw asylum claims by all illegal arrivals and transfer them elsewhere, such as Rwanda, in an effort to curb the flow of migrants. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons that stopping the boats is the “people’s priority” and pledged to “break the criminal gangs” profiting from the journeys. Rights groups and the United Nations, however, warned that the legislation would make Britain an international outlaw under European and UN asylum conventions.
Lineker tweeted on Thursday that he was “very much looking forward” to presenting *Match of the Day* on Saturday. He had previously told reporters outside his London home that he stood by his criticism of the immigration policy and did not fear suspension by the BBC. In its statement, the BBC described Lineker as “second to none” in sports presenting, adding that the corporation has never required him to be an “opinion‑free zone” but expects him to avoid taking sides on party‑political issues or political controversies.
Shortly after the announcement, former Arsenal and England forward Ian Wright said he would not appear on the programme on Saturday in a show of support for Lineker. “Everybody knows what *Match of the Day* means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow,” he tweeted. “Solidarity.”
BBC director‑general Tim Davie warned staff about their use of social media when he took on the role at the end of 2020, and the guidelines have since been updated. Staff are required to follow editorial guidelines and oversight in the same way as when producing BBC content. Lineker, however, is a freelance broadcaster for the BBC, not a permanent employee, and is not responsible for news or political content; therefore, he is not subject to the same impartiality rules.
Comments are closed for this story.