Latest news with #Lineker
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Former BBC presenter reveals why he stepped back from his role
Gary Lineker revealed his BBC departure was a case of "quit or be quitted" rather than entirely his own choice, following a controversial social media post. The post, which featured a rat image, was about Zionism, and Lineker later apologised, stating he stands against all forms of racism. As a result, Lineker will no longer present BBC coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season. He maintained his impartiality regarding the war in Gaza, stating he has "no skin in the game" and is "anti the killing of children". Lineker has since toned down his social media use, coming off X (formerly Twitter) due to its "horrible" and "nasty" nature.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker claims BBC exit ‘case of quit or be quitted' after sharing pro-Gaza video
Gary Lineker left the BBC after sharing a post about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat - historically an antisemitic insult - which he apologised for Gary Lineker has claimed his departure from the BBC was a case of 'quit or be quitted'. The former Match Of The Day presenter was asked if his departure from the corporation was 'of his own volition, or a case of quit or be quitted?' to which he replied 'the latter', during an interview with The New World, formerly known as The New European. The 64-year-old left the BBC early following a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult, which he apologised for, saying he stands 'against all forms of racism'. The presenter will no longer front BBC coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season as had been intended, with his last episode of Match Of The Day coming on May 25. Speaking about his departure, Lineker said: 'That's what changed after that. I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough.' He went on to say that he believed he had complied with the BBC's impartiality rules as he had looked at the war in Gaza 'without a vested interest'. Lineker added: 'I've got no skin in the game. I'm not Muslim, I'm not Palestinian, I'm not Israeli, I'm not Jewish. I come from a place of complete impartiality. And then it becomes about truth. 'People talked about me being antisemitic. I'm not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children.' The former England striker went on to say he did not blame director-general Tim Davie for his exit, adding: 'Tim Davie I know and I get on well with. I know how difficult it is for him with what's going on. 'Do I dislike people at the BBC? Not the people that I know.' BBC boss speaks out At the time of Lineker's departure, Davie said in a statement that the pair 'agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season', after the former presenter 'acknowledged the mistake he made'. Davie added: 'Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.' In his own statement, Lineker said that 'stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action'. The ex-Barcelona player went on to say in The New World interview that he has toned down his use of social media following the incident. He explained: 'Social media's changed a lot. People say to me 'when did you start having a view on things?', and I say 'well I've always had a view but social media gave me the platform'. 'Perhaps I wish it hadn't. I've come off X completely. I only use it to promote a podcast now. It's just become horrible. Nasty.' Lineker also runs Goalhanger Podcasts which produces podcasts such as The Rest Is Football, The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is Entertainment, and the Leicester-born star revealed in the interview that his company would soon produce a science podcast. The Rest Is Football podcast, which Lineker presents alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, moved from the BBC to British internet sports streaming platform DAZN following Lineker's BBC exit.
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker reveals he WAS sacked by BBC in talks after antisemitism row
Gary Lineker left the BBC earlier this year after sharing an antisemetic post on his social media account and has now revealed that his early departure was enforced upon him Gary Lineker has confirmed that it was the BBC 's decision, rather than his own, for him to leave the corporation early after the Match of the Day presenter shared an antisemitic post on his social media. Lineker, 64, shared a pro-Palestine video which was accompanied by a rat emoji earlier this year. That led to an outpouring of anger and calls for the BBC to sack Lineker instead of allowing the former England striker to see out the remainder of his contract. It was announced in May that Lineker would leave the BBC at the end of the 2024-25 season, with the popular presenter stating that "stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action." But in a new interview with The New World, Lineker has revealed what really happened prior to his exit. When he was asked if leaving was his choice or a case of 'quit or be quitted', he replied: 'The latter.' Reflecting on the incident, he said: 'I missed it [the rat emoji]. To be honest, I wouldn't have understood the connotations anyway until it was pointed out to me. I genuinely didn't see it. I'm not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there. Why would you ever conflate a rodent with a human? 'I wouldn't do that on purpose – it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. But, yeah, it was a tough couple of days.' Lineker, who was due to front the BBC's coverage of the FA Cup in the new season and the 2026 World Cup, swiftly removed the post and issued a public apology. That wasn't enough, though, and the decision was made for Lineker to leave the corporation early rather than continue appearing in the 2025-26 season. In a statement released at the time, Lineker apologised again, saying: ' Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio. 'I care deeply about the game, and about the work I've done with the BBC over many years. As I've said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for. 'However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Gary Lineker claims BBC departure 'a case of quit or be quitted'
Gary Lineker has claimed his departure from the BBC was a case of "quit or be quitted". During an interview with The New World, formerly known as The New European, the former Match of the Day presenter was asked if his departure from the corporation was "of his own volition, or a case of quit or be quitted?" to which he replied: "The latter." The 64-year-old left the BBC early following a post about Zionism that featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult, which he apologised for, saying he stands "against all forms of racism". The presenter will no longer front BBC coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season as had been intended, with his last episode of Match of the Day coming on 25 May. Speaking about his departure, Lineker said: "That's what changed after that. I made a mistake, and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough." He went on to say that he believed he had complied with the BBC's impartiality rules, as he had looked at the war in Gaza "without a vested interest". Lineker added: "I've got no skin in the game. I'm not Muslim, I'm not Palestinian, I'm not Israeli, I'm not Jewish. I come from a place of complete impartiality. And then it becomes about truth. "People talked about me being antisemitic. I'm not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children." The former England striker went on to say he did not blame BBC Director-General Tim Davie for his exit, adding: "Tim Davie I know and I get on well with. I know how difficult it is for him with what's going on. "Do I dislike people at the BBC? Not the people that I know." At the time of Lineker's departure, Davie said in a statement that the pair "agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season", after the former presenter "acknowledged the mistake he made". Davie added: "Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made." In his own statement, Lineker said that "stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action". The ex-Barcelona player went on to say in The New World interview that he has toned down his use of social media following the incident. He explained: "Social media's changed a lot. People say to me, 'When did you start having a view on things?', and I say, 'Well, I've always had a view, but social media gave me the platform'. "Perhaps I wish it hadn't. I've come off X completely. I only use it to promote a podcast now. It's just become horrible. Nasty." Lineker also runs Goalhanger Podcasts, which produces podcasts such as The Rest Is Football, The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is Entertainment, and the Leicester-born star revealed in the interview that his company would soon produce a science podcast. The Rest Is Football podcast, which Lineker presents alongside former footballers Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, moved from the BBC to British internet sports streaming platform DAZN following Lineker's BBC exit.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Gary Lineker admits he was SACKED from BBC after sharing pro-Gaza video likening supporters of Israel to rats
GARY Lineker has confirmed he was sacked by the BBC after he was accused of sharing an anti-Semitic post. The former Match of the Day presenter, 64, sparked fury after he 4 Lineker has revealed he was axed by the broadcaster Credit: PA The post, shared by Gary in May, included an illustration of a rat — historically used as an antisemitic slur. Just days later, the former , striker announced his departure from He made his final appearance on the Beeb's flagship football show in May to present coverage of the end of the Premier League season. Opening up to The New World on his exit today, he revealed that he was fired by BBC bosses. Read more News When asked during an interview if he had quit or if he was sacked, he admitted: "The latter." Last November, Lineker announced he would be stepping down from presenting . The footballing icon was set to continue hosting certain events, such as the next year's World Cup and FA Cup coverage. But he went on to say that he had "missed" the rat emoji in the post that ultimately spelled the end of his career at the broadcaster. Most read in Football He continued: 'I missed it [the rat emoji]. I genuinely didn't see it. "I'm not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there. "I wouldn't do that on purpose - it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. It was a tough couple of days. 'People talked about me being antisemitic. I'm not anti-any group of people. Any race , any colour. But I am anti the killing of children. Gary Lineker apologises for antisemitic post and confirms he's quitting BBC next week "I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough.' The rat accompanied footage of a Canadian-Palestinian lawyer attacking the war in with the caption "Zionism explained in two minutes ". Speaking on his exit at the time, Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said Lineker had "acknowledged his mistake". He added: "Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season. "Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. "His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. "We want to thank him for the contribution he has made." Last month, The Sun revealed that Beeb chiefs delivered a final snub to Lineker by axing his last interview without warning. He was due to talk to Liverpool goal hero Mo Salah , but there were fears the host would say something controversial about . A source said the plug was pulled by director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, who got the job last summer . And there was 'no love lost' between An insider said: 'The plan was for the interview to be shown across the BBC the weekend of 4 He presented the flagship football programme for 26 years 4 Bosses axed his final interview with Mo Salah for MOTD Credit: Splash 'That would include on Football Focus the day before as well as online and on social media. 'Out of nowhere, it got cancelled. Some people think they didn't want Gary and Mo to talk about Gaza. 'Salah has spoken out in his support for Palestinians living in Gaza and Gary has made his feelings clear too. "It felt like it may have come up naturally in conversation. 'It seems they axed it rather than risk possible editorial issues. "They'd only just overcome one storm so to face another would have been a nightmare.' His final years as MOTD host have been marred by his outspoken views and fallouts with bosses. In March 2023, Lineker was He was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC, to re-broadcast a documentary, He is now likely to focus on his successful Goalhanger Podcasts business. 4 Lineker apologised for the Instagram post Credit: Instagram
