Long-serving BBC presenter Gary Lineker has left his position with the broadcaster earlier than planned, largely due to ongoing allegations of anti-semitism by the Match of the Day host.
The former England international footballer, who has been the front man for the popular football show for 26 years, was due to complete his tenure with the BBC after the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, but a decision was reached to call time on his employment with the channel in May, after the final round of Premier League fixtures.
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Gary Lineker has been one of the biggest earners at the publicly funded BBC for years, and he has been accused on many occasions of being ‘too political’ when posting via his social media channels, and when he recently shared a post that featured a rat, a centuries old Jewish trope, it appears his employers had had enough.
Signing off at the end of his final Match of the Day broadcast, Lineker became quite emotional and rounded off the show with a statement: “It’s been an absolute privilege to have hosted Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous,” and “my final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching, thank you for all your love and support over the years.”
“It’s been so special, and I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye.” Lineker added.
Talking of his departure from the BBC, the organization’s Director General, Tim Davie, spoke in relation to accusations of Lineker’s antisemitic behavior and comments: “The BBC’s reputation is helped by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us. We need people to be exemplars of BBC values and to follow our social media policy. It’s as simple as that.”
On the re-posting of the offensive trope via Instagram, Lineker had looked to extricate himself from the mess he had caused, releasing an apparently heartfelt apology: “On Instagram, I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in. The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologize unreservedly.” He added.
Gary Lineker took over from Des Lynam in 1999 and has proven a big success, leading to his reported $1.8 million annual salary.
Match of the Day will return next season with not one, but three hosts. Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will each take the hot seat, and no doubt the TV show will continue to draw big viewing figures, with or without Gary Lineker in tow.