Gary Lineker Apologizes For Cartoon Rat Re-post After Being Criticized By BBC Director General
Gary Lineker has 'apologised unreservedly' for re-posting a video featuring an antisemitic trope after drawing veiled criticism from the BBC Director General.
In a statement in the past few minutes to the BBC, Lineker, who is about to step down from Match of the Day, said: 'On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references. I very much regret these references.'
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The video Lineker re-posted then deleted featured a cartoon rat, an antisemitic trope that harks back to 1930s Germany. The rat was overlaid on an explainer of the Israel-Gaza war presented by Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu. Screenshots showed it being flagged up on X as hate speech.
'Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters,' Lineker added. 'I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.'
Notably, Lineker's spokesman did not apologize yesterday when contacted about the re-post, rather claiming that the presenter 'did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection.'
Today's apology then came after Director General Tim Davie appeared to criticize Lineker for the re-post this morning.
Delivering a speech in Salford and responding to a question on Lineker's re-post, Davie suggested the top-paid BBC presenter may have broken the corporation's social media rules. 'The BBC's reputation is helped by everyone and when someone makes a mistake it costs us,' Davie said. 'We need people to be exemplars of BBC values and to follow our social media policy. It's as simple as that.'
The controversial re-post came more than two years after a tweet by Lineker criticizing the government's policy on small boats led to a mini BBC presenter strike and an eventual change in the guidelines around presenters and social media. Lineker's posts have since been the subject of intense scrutiny. He has also announced his exit from Match of the Day after 25 years and only has two more eps until the end of the season.Lineker, who is the BBC's highest-paid presenter, will remain with the corporation next year hosting coverage of high-profile soccer tournaments. Last month, Lineker suggested in a tell-all interview that the BBC wanted him to leave Match of the Day.
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