Gary Lineker ‘set’ for early BBC exit with position ‘untenable’ after his deleted post on Zionism
Presenter Gary Lineker is reportedly ‘set’ to ‘step down’ from the BBC earlier than planned, with his position at the broadcaster ‘untenable’.
The division between Lineker and the BBC has grown in recent years as he has become increasingly outspoken regarding his football opinions and thoughts on public affairs.
This has coincided with the launch of his Rest is Football podcast, which he hosts alongside pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. This has been a huge success and his production company, Goalhanger, also works on other successful podcasts, including The Rest is Politics, The Rest is History and The Rest is Entertainment.
This new platform has given Lineker the freedom to express his views on football, something he’s not been in a position to do as a presenter for the BBC.
But Lineker has come under fire for his political outbursts, and in March 2023, he was forced to step back from his role on Match of the Day after criticising the government’s stance on asylum seekers.
Lineker was subsequently reinstated after receiving overwhelming backing from pundits and colleagues at the BBC, but he has continued speaking out on politics. In April, he admitted that he ‘sensed’ the broadcaster wanted him to leave.Â
The 64-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from the BBC in recent years and announced in May 2024 that the 2024/25 season would be his final season as host of Match of the Day.
He also declared that he would leave the broadcaster entirely in 2026, with his last job being to host the coverage for next year’s World Cup.
However, these plans have changed after he had to apologise for a deleted post on social media about Zionism. This featured an illustration of a rat, which has historically been used as an antisemitic insult.
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Now, a report from BBC themselves reveals Lineker is ‘expected to leave’ and an official ‘announcement’ is due to be made on Monday.
Lineker is said to be ‘set to leave’ the BBC as he is due to ‘step down after he presents his final Match of the Day next weekend’.
It is also noted that he ‘will no longer present the corporation’s coverage of the World Cup in 2026’.
The report also reveals ‘BBC bosses considered Lineker’s position untenable’ after his deleted post on Zionism.
On this post, Lineker’s agent said:Â “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”
