From the stifling heat of Mexico’s Azteca Stadium to the air conditioning of Match of the Day’s Salford studio, Gary Lineker has made a career out of making the right call.
Whether he was stealing behind Argentina’s defence to score the goal that would win him a World Cup Golden Boot, or presenting one of Britain’s most iconic sports shows in his underpants after his beloved Leicester City secured the unlikeliest of Premier League titles, he had a certain knack.
In recent times that knack has deserted the 64-year-old, first of all with his decision in March 2023 to veer out of his lane and criticise the then government’s new asylum policy.
At the BBC, impartiality is king — opinions of those in the sports department should be on sport, not politics. There is a clear code and an understandable nervousness over upsetting those who contribute to Auntie’s upkeep.
That the suspension which followed led to a walk-out from seemingly supportive staff only worsened matters. Many privately felt ‘backed into a corner’ with little option but to follow the golden boy out of the door. When Lineker’s suspension was lifted, the bad taste lingered.
Lineker did not learn from his mis-step. In February, he was at it again, this time as one of 500 high-profile figures who signed an open letter urging the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive A Warzone, on iPlayer. It had emerged the 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
Gary Lineker will depart the BBC after sharing a post about Zionism that featured a rat
The former England striker made the announcement on social media on Monday morning
Lineker was swinging for the fence — only to his paymasters there were no home runs. Instead came a third strike, which arrived last week, and he was out.
Lineker insists he is not anti-Semitic and that he shared an Instagram post on Zionism without realising it featured a particularly harmful image of a rat, the animal used to represent Jews in anti-Semitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
Almost immediately his position was deemed ‘untenable’. It caused serious embarrassment for BBC director general Tim Davie, who sought counsel from director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, whom Lineker had criticised in a recent newspaper interview.
Only last week, Davie gave a speech on trust, disinformation and impartiality at the Lowry Centre near the BBC’s MediaCity home in Salford. ‘The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us,’ he told the audience. ‘We absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that.’
Davie was quick to act after Lineker’s latest transgression, hastily arranging a series of meetings. He is thought to have led on the decision to part company with Lineker now, with the full support of Kay-Jelski.
The situation was the talk of the building at the BBC’s Salford and London bases. Many of the staff are fully behind the decision.
‘There’s a feeling of relief,’ said one staffer. ‘We’re subject to strict rules on what we can and can’t say and there was a feeling Gary could do what he wanted. Now nobody will have to brace themselves for what he posts next.’
The prospect of Lineker airing such polarising views for another 12 months — before being invited back to host the BBC’s World Cup coverage — was viewed as ‘simply unpalatable’.
Lineker shared a now-deleted reel on Instagram which originated with pro-Palestine group Palestine Lobby
The prospect of Lineker airing polarising views for another 12 months was a concern for staff
In the initial announcement of Lineker’s planned departure were details of a licensing deal between the BBC and his podcast production company. That agreement was for one year — and will not be extended. Lineker’s repost will cost him hundreds of thousands.
Whether he appears elsewhere next summer remains to be seen but one studio you will not see Lineker in is that of Qatari-owned beIN SPORTS, home to Richard Keys and Andy Gray after they left Sky in 2011 amid a sexism furore.
Lineker, who was an outspoken critic of the Qatar World Cup, had previously pocketed £1.6million working for the Gulf state’s sports broadcaster. When he then gave
a ‘virtue-signalling’ monologue ahead of the opening match in 2022, singling out the host’s record on migrant workers and immigration, it enraged beIN bosses.
As for Sky? ‘Highly unlikely’, said one insider. Why? Because earlier this month he told the The Times of their coverage: ‘They can spend 20 minutes covering a corner. It’s not for me.’ His comments did not go unnoticed at Sky HQ. ITV are the bookies’ favourites.
Lineker will be replaced on Match of the Day by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, who are also likely to step in for the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Lineker started as a BBC Radio 5 Live presenter and also worked on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting. This is not the ending he had hoped for.
Within the building, attention has turned to his Sunday send-off and there is a desire to do things the right way. Regardless of Lineker’s exit, his service and longevity cannot be questioned.
Davie emailed staff at 12.06pm on Monday and shared the press release which had been sent to the media. Moments later, a note from Kay-Jelski dropped.
It read: ‘You will have seen that Gary Lineker will be leaving the BBC at the end of the season. I appreciate the last week has been difficult and emotional for many of you. Thank you for the messages and conversations, even if some of them weren’t easy to have.
‘It is sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster and I want to thank Gary for his years of service. As ever, if you have questions you know where I am.
‘Let’s finish the season strongly with Gary’s final show and look forward to what lies ahead.’
Lineker is said to be heartbroken. His representatives have failed to respond to requests for comment.
Can he rediscover the touch that used to serve him so well? The first task will be finding someone willing to take a chance — a skill he once excelled at.
