Latest news with #Pundit
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS BBC axe tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios from Wimbledon coverage after backlash following his assault of ex-girlfriend
Nick Kyrgios has reportedly been dropped from the BBC 's coverage of Wimbledon this year, despite the Australian appearing as a pundit on last summer's Championships. More to follow...
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gary Lineker was the BBC's £1.4m-a-year golden boy, modernised Match of the Day and presented in his pants... but 'virtue-signalling' and rows over impartiality and anti-Semitism made his notorious moments as memorable
Gary Lineker has stepped away from his long-standing association with the BBC following backlash over his recent views on social media. Lineker was due to leave his role as a presenter with the BBC at the end of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. However, his time with the broadcaster is will now come to an end with Sunday's season-ending Match of the Day programme. It comes after Lineker was widely condemned for his now-deleted Instagram video story which featured a pro-Palestine video featuring an anti-Jewish rat slur. Following backlash from sections of the Jewish community, the Match of the Day presenter insisting he would 'never knowingly share anything anti-Semitic'. Here, Mail Sport takes a look back at Lineker's rollercoaster career at the BBC. First Match of the Day Lineker first hosted Match of the Day on 7 August 1999, following the departure of long-time presenter Des Lynam, who moved to ITV to cover their newly acquired Premier League highlights. Lineker, a former England footballer and prominent BBC pundit, was chosen as Lynam's successor due to his growing broadcasting experience and public profile. He had already been a regular on BBC sports coverage, including punditry for football and presenting roles for events like the 1998 World Cup. The BBC saw Lineker as a natural fit to take over the iconic show, given his football expertise, charisma, and familiarity to viewers. His appointment was announced in 1999, and he began hosting at the start of the 1999–2000 football season. Presenting in his underwear Lineker presented Match of the Day in his boxer shorts on August 13, 2016, at the start of the 2016–17 Premier League season. This was in fulfillment of a promise he made on Twitter in December 2015, when he vowed to host the show in 'just my undies' if Leicester City, his boyhood club and a 5000/1 underdog, won the Premier League title. Against all odds, Leicester City clinched the title in May 2016, marking one of the greatest upsets in football history. True to his word, Lineker appeared on the show wearing white Leicester City-branded boxer shorts, joined by pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, who struggled to keep straight faces. He remained in his boxers for about 30 minutes before changing into regular attire. The stunt sparked mixed reactions, with some viewers praising his commitment and others criticizing the choice of 'shorts-like' boxers over skimpier briefs, leading Lineker to later confirm on Instagram that they were indeed boxer shorts. Jaw-dropping salary Lineker has been the top earner on £1.35million a year, having fronted the BBC's Premier League highlights since 1999. The Daily Mail had been told a representative for the Match of the Day presenter made the overtures to ITV in the past 18 months. Sources indicated the conversations were aimed at sounding out if they wanted the former England player as a sports anchor. However, his agent, Jon Holmes, rejected the claims as 'rubbish' and insisted ITV had in fact been keen to recruit Lineker 'years ago' but were knocked back by the presenter. Conservative comments Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy. The BBC's decision was sparked by the presenter's response on Twitter to a Home Office video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled the Government's plans to stop migrants crossing the Channel on small boats. He said language she used was 'not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.' Lineker wrote: 'There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. 'This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the '30s.' The former England striker was briefly taken off air, and other sports journalists and presenters walked out in solidarity, before he returned to fronting MOTD. Lineker also later said at Hay Festival in Powys in April 2024 that claims he was 'comparing to Nazis' were 'completely out of context to what I said - it was a distortion'. He also said in April this year: 'I don't regret saying them publicly, because I was right – what I said, it was accurate – so not at all in that sense. 'Would I, in hindsight, do it again? No, I wouldn't, because of all the nonsense that came with it… It was a ridiculous overreaction that was just a reply to someone that was being very rude. And I wasn't particularly rude back.' He added: 'But I wouldn't do it again because of all the kerfuffle that followed, and I love the BBC, and I didn't like the damage that it did to the BBC… But do I regret it and do I think it was the wrong thing to do? No.' The presenter also said the BBC should 'have ignored it, and it would have been fine', and called the corporation 'silly' for its 'overreaction' in taking him off air. His tweets, which sparked a row about BBC presenters expressing political views on social media, led to enhanced rules for BBC flagship presenters, including a ban on making attacks on political parties. Attacking England team BBC staff at Euro 2024 in Germany were reportedly unhappy about Lineker's apparent criticisms of the England team at Euro 2024 on his podcast, The Rest is Football. Despite maintaining their unbeaten start to the tournament, England came under fire for lacking an attacking impetus in their draw with Denmark. Lineker was one of several prominent media figures to criticise the showing, branding the performance as 's***' on 'The Rest is Football', a podcast he hosts. Following Lineker's comment, captain Harry Kane hit out at pundits and commentators over their assessments, saying: 'I would never want to be disrespectful to any player, especially a player who has worn the shirt and knows what it is like to play for England. 'But what ex-players who are pundits now have got to realise it is very hard not to listen to it now, especially for some players who are not used to it or some players who are new to the environment. 'I always feel like they have a responsibility – I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but also they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player. 'The bottom line is we haven't won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is.' 'Virtue-signalling' at the Qatar World Cup Viewers of the first World Cup match accused the BBC of brazen 'hypocrisy' and 'virtue signalling' after pundits launched into a segment about controversies and human rights issues in Qatar while broadcasting live from a stadium in Doha. Gary Lineker's opening monologue for the corporation's coverage of the tournament addressed the human rights record in the host nation immediately. The controversial competition kicked off with Qatar facing Ecuador in Group A, with the game shown live on the BBC. He had previously been criticised, along with other football commentators and journalists, for agreeing to attend and be paid for the tournament in Qatar given its deeply conservative stance on issues such as gay rights. One social media user said: 'Gary Lineker on BBC News talking about the lack of human rights in Qatar. All while he's sitting there and taking the money. The hypocrisy of the guy knows no bounds!' In excess of 6,500 migrant workers are said to have died while building Qatar's football stations for the tournament, and homosexuality is still illegal and sometimes punishable by death. The BBC team came under fire from those watching who complained they had tuned in to watch the football, not to hear a 'political segment' - and others who pointed out the team had agreed to fly out to the country and were being paid to work there. Among those to raise criticism was Piers Morgan, who told his Twitter followers the broadcasters were 'putting out more virtual-signalling guff': 'Outrageously disrespectful to Qatar that the BBC didn't broadcast the World Cup opening ceremony, and instead put out more virtue-signalling guff about how awful it is. 'If they're that appalled, they should bring home their vast army of employees and spare us this absurd hypocrisy. SPOTY Gaffe Back in 2019, Lineker was accused of 'giving the game away' after introducing Ben Stokes as the 'main award winner' at that year's Sports Personality of the Year show - an hour before the cricketer was crowned and before voting had even started. The presenter apologised for his gaffe, drawing laughs from the Aberdeen crowd, and clarified that Stokes was a contender and not the winner. Stokes, 28, was the bookie's favourite to win the award, which is voted for by the public, after a stellar year which saw him lead England to World Cup glory. Stokes was later crowed Sports Personality of the Year, coming ahead of second-placed Lewis Hamilton and third-placed Dina Asher-Smith. And Gary Lineker took to Twitter to admit he had 'f***ed up'. Antisemitic Instagram post The latest row saw Lineker come under significant criticism after he shared, then deleted, a post on his Instagram account from the group, Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, titled: 'Zionism explained in two minutes.' Rats, linked to disease and dirt, have been used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany. Lineker later 'apologised unreservedly' for the social media re-post, saying he would 'never knowingly share anything antisemitic'. His agent said the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image's symbolism, which he had previously not appreciated. But the Campaign Against Antisemitism called for him to be sacked, saying: 'The BBC has turned a blind eye for too long, it is long past time for him to go, and he must go now.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's administration fills with Fox News personalities
Jeanine Pirro, whom President Trump selected this week to serve as the top prosecutor in the District of Columbia, is just the latest in a slew of Fox News hosts and personalities to join the president's administration this year. Pirro on Thursday became one of more than a dozen former Fox employees or contributors who have spoken glowingly about the president on the network's air and been rewarded with top jobs in his government. The trend suggests Trump is closely watching what is said about him and his policies on the conservative cable channel and values figures who are both compelling on television and loyal to his agenda. Here are some of the former Fox News personalities serving in top positions in Trump's administration during his second term. Pirro is a former judge and prosecutor who was elected multiple times to serve as district attorney for Westchester County in New York. For the last 15 years, Pirro has made a name for herself as one of Fox News's most aggressively conservative pundits, work that has endeared her to the president. She most recently was a co-host of 'The Five,' the network's top-rated program, and has used that platform to offer regular praise of Trump and attack his opponents. Pirro, known widely across the cable news world for her sharp one-liners and fiery takes, has landed in hot water with her commentary in the past, sometimes with her own network. When the host made comments in 2019 questioning Rep. Ilhan Omar's (D-Minn.) loyalty to America, Fox publicly distanced itself from those remarks and suspended her. Trump defended Pirro at the time, and he demanded the network bring her back quickly. The president sees Pirro as a key ally to help him to 'clean up' Washington, D.C., and signaled he expects her to take a strong stance against crime. 'Jeanine is incredibly well qualified for this position and is considered one of the Top District Attorneys in the History of the State of New York,' Trump wrote on Truth Social when selecting her. 'She is in a class by herself.' Pete Hegseth was one of Fox News's most popular weekend hosts when he was selected by Trump to lead the Pentagon. A combat veteran who served in various roles at Fox for a decade, Hegseth had been a vocal critic of 'wokeness' in the military while at the network and applauded Trump's 'America First' posture toward foreign adversaries. Hegseth faced a tough confirmation battle in the Senate, thanks to allegations of heavy drinking and mistreatment of women, which he has denied Weeks later, the former 'Fox & Friends' weekend host was at the center of another controversy when The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included on an unsecured Signal chat where Hegseth and other top intelligence officials discussed plans for an upcoming attack on terrorists in Yemen. Through it all, Trump has stood by the former top cable news host. 'This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations,' Hegseth told reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll last month. 'Not going to work with me.' Sean Duffy is a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin who had experience in the media and entertainment world before he entered public service. A former cast member of MTV's 'The Real World,' Duffy is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, another leading face at Fox and a former co-host of Hegseth's on Fox News's weekend morning show. Duffy, who also contributed to CNN after leaving Congress, was hired by Fox to host a show on Fox Business in 2022, where he caught Trump's attention and earned himself a spot in the president's Cabinet. Duffy has presided over the Department of Transportation at a time of widespread concern about air traffic control problems across the country and other issues relating to passengers' safety. Tulsi Gabbard was also a member of the U.S. House, but as a Democrat, before joining Fox. Gabbard's pivot toward the right earned her a job as a contributor on the cable channel and opportunities to fill in as a host for prime-time pundits ahead of the 2024 election. The former lawmaker from Hawaii used her perch at Fox to defend Trump from negative headlines and to ridicule her former party over its vision for the country. Gabbard endorsed Trump before the 2024 election and spoke in support of him at rallies along the campaign trail before she was selected to serve as head of intelligence for his second administration. During her first few months as director of national intelligence, Gabbard has been sharply critical of the previous administration's policy toward Ukraine and vowed to crack down on intelligence leaks to journalists. 'Our nation's Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission,' Gabbard wrote on social media in March. 'Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people and will not be tolerated.' Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, has been a well-known conservative media figure for years. He joined Fox in 2021 with an hourlong Saturday evening show, which was canceled two years later. A sharp critic of top media figures and Democrats, Bongino took over the late radio host Rush Limbaugh's program on Cumulus Media before being selected by Trump to serve as FBI Director Kash Patel's second in command. Like Patel, Bongino has regularly railed against a so-called deep state in federal law enforcement that he says is working to undermine Trump and his agenda. 'Trust absolutely NOTHING emanating from the DOJ or FBI that even remotely whiffs of politics,' Bongino wrote on social media just days before Trump's November 2024 victory. 'Especially before an election, where they have a deep and troubled history of election interference in defense of their democrat allies.' Tom Homan, a hard-line immigration official who has served in several presidential administrations, began as a contributor at Fox News in 2019. A vocal advocate for Trump's immigration policies for years, Homan regularly appears on television and in other media to defend the president's push for strengthened border security. Homan made headlines last fall with comments to '60 Minutes' in which he said families of immigrants 'can be deported together' when asked about the prospect of separating children from their parents during removals of people lacking permanent legal status from the country. A sharp critic of Democratic initiatives on immigration, Homan recently backed Trump's suggestion that the closed prison at Alcatraz be reopened to house detained immigrants, saying 'we need beds' and that such an option should 'certainly be on the table.' While the president's daughter-in-law is not in the administration, she is one of the most prominent examples of the symbiotic relationship between Trump World and Fox's ranks. Originally joining the network as a contributor in 2021, Lara Trump left Fox a year later to take a top position in the Republican nominee's campaign. She also served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and was rumored to be in consideration for a vacant Senate seat in her home state of North Carolina. The wife of Eric Trump, a leading conservative activist and a strong public speaker, Lara Trump inked a deal with Fox earlier this year to host a weekend prime-time show titled 'My View.' The hiring denoted the first time a sitting president has had a relative presiding over a national cable program. Lara Trump's show gives Fox unique access to the president's administration and his family, while the president has promoted her show in return. 'Remember, Lara Trump opens her big new show tonight on Fox News,' Trump wrote to his followers on social media the day her new program premiered, adding she deserved some credit for his 'Big WIN' in November. 'I may be slightly prejudiced,' the president conceded, 'but she really is an amazing person.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
