Latest news with #post-BBC
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
BBC's Gary Linekar ends 26 year old association with the company, turns over a new leaf
Image via France24 British sports broadcaster and former professional football striker Gary Lineker has officially turned a significant page in his long and celebrated career. Known for his significant and career-defining performances with notable clubs such as Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Lineker's presence off the pitch has been nothing short of perfection. After 26 illustrious years at the BBC, he has announced his retirement from the British channel, marking the end of an era in British sports media. Everything we know so far about Gary Linekar's new venture Gary Lineker confirms early exit from BBC | BBC News Lineker's media journey began with the BBC, where he became a familiar and respected face, fronting major football coverage including Match of the Day and live international tournaments. Throughout his tenure, he was lauded not only for his football insights but also for his calm, articulate, and charismatic on-screen presence. However, with the conclusion of the 2024–25 football season, Lineker has decided it's time to explore new and exciting opportunities. In a move that has baffled both his fans and sports persons associated with the football world, Lineker has signed a fresh deal with media powerhouse Goalhanger Podcasts, turning to a new chapter in his post-BBC career. The announcement, shared via the social media platform X on Tuesday, quickly gained attention, drawing a flurry of mixed reactions from fans and pundits alike. While many expressed sadness over his departure from the BBC, others welcomed the change with enthusiasm and curiosity. Lineker's new project will see him return to the screen, this time in a more dynamic and digital format. He will be collaborating with sports streaming media conglomerate DAZN, the tournament's official broadcaster, as part of the podcast venture. The show promises to deliver an engaging mix of pre-match reviews, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and licensed match footage. Adding further excitement to the announcement is the news that Lineker will be joined by his long-time co-hosts and fellow football veterans Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, both of whom have been former English football players having notable track records. Their fans world-wide can't wait to see the trio together in this new setting, which would mark the beginning of something exciting. Gary Linekar's goodbye from his previous association hardly feels like the end of something, rather an imminent beginning of a new era in football.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gary Lineker shows Palestine support just hours after leaving BBC
Gary Lineker embraced his first day of post-BBC freedom by defiantly sharing a poem of support for Palestine which includes a George Orwell quotation. Lineker shared a verse by Nikita Gill, who had been expressing heartbreak for paediatrician Alaa al Najjar after her nine children were killed in an Israeli airstrike. Just hours after leaving the Match of the Day studios for the last time, Lineker shared Gill's poem on his Instagram story between tributes after his BBC goodbye. The verse shared by Lineker said: 'A mother on duty caring for her patients receives the remains of nine of her children. We are told to ignore this. 'A child who can barely walk struggles to find safety through flames in the aftermath of a bomb, unable to breathe. We are told to ignore this.' It then ends with a quote from Orwell which says: 'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.' The verse ends with: 'We must refuse to abdicate our duty to each other and see the truth for what is before us.' Lineker had been left wiping away tears on Sunday night after a star-studded montage paid tribute to his 26 years as Match of the Day's anchor. He explained on his Rest is Football podcast, however, that it was the sight of his sons talking about him on the video that had left him weeping. 'Thankfully, that wasn't the last clip, because I'd gone at that point,' he explained. 'I needed time to to get myself together, to try and get through the the end of the show.' Lineker will lose out on an estimated £800,000 after being forced to leave without a pay-off. Sources close to the corporation say the decision to drop him was made primarily by BBC chiefs who had run out of patience with his outspoken political views. During his emotional goodbye on Sunday, Lineker said the show is now 'in the best of hands' as Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman replace him next season. Pep Guardiola, Virgil Van Dyke, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Shilton and Alan Hansen joined the likes of Alan Shearer and Micah Richards on a special montage celebrating his career on the show. Lineker, who was handed a cap and a golden boot as goodbye gifts, composed himself to make a typically wry summary of his stint as the BBC's top sports anchor. 'Rather like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work, and I got the plaudits,' he said as he signed off. He added: 'It's been an absolute privilege to have hosted Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It's been utterly joyous. I'd like to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly all the very best when they sit in this chair. The programme is in the best of hands.' Claudio Ranieri, Guy Mowbray, Alan Smith and Ian Wright also appeared on a special video paying tribute to Lineker's career. Opening credits had also been adapted with some of Lineker's most famous goal-scoring had opened his last show with a wry remark about the furore surrounding him in recent weeks. 'It wasn't meant to end this way,' he said, before adding 'but with the title race over and the relegation places confirmed, the Champions League was all we had left to talk about.' Lineker's final show had remained a significant point of contention behind the scenes in recent days but the programme has a history of paying tribute to departing stars. There were emotional send-offs for Alan Hansen while Ian Wright was presented with a cap during his final appearance last year. For Lineker, however, tribute planning was not straightforward. A host of Jewish members of BBC staff and television executives elsewhere have spoken of their anger that he was granted a chance to say goodbye after sharing a social-media post featuring anti-Semitic imagery. Leo Pearlman, chief executive at Fulwell Entertainment, and Danny Cohen, former director of BBC Television, have said Lineker does not deserve a 'swansong'. The latest controversy was set in motion a fortnight ago when the Match of the Day presenter used Instagram to promote a pro-Palestinian video featuring a rat emoji – an icon used by the Nazis as a slur against Jewish people. Lineker apologised and removed the video but calls to remove him from the BBC grew louder when Telegraph Sport published an explosive interview with Lineker in which he went further than ever in his comments about Israel and also criticised his boss at the BBC. It was confirmed at noon last Monday that this Sunday's Match of the Day would be Lineker's last BBC outing. Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day since 1999, issued an unreserved apology for the 'hurt and upset caused' by the video, stating it was a 'genuine mistake'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Content Chief Runners & Riders: Who Will Claim The Most Powerful Creative Job In British TV?
Charlotte Moore's decision to quit the BBC has opened up the most powerful creative job in British television — and within minutes speculation was rampant about who could succeed the outgoing content chief. Moore shocked the industry this morning by announcing plans to take on a dual role at Sony Pictures Television, which will involve overseeing international creative output and running The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures as CEO. She will replace Andy Harries, who yesterday revealed he is transitioning to Executive Chairman. More from Deadline BBC Shocker! Charlotte Moore Quits As Content Chief To Join Sony & 'The Crown' Producer Left Bank BBC Making British TV History With First Ever Live Eid Ceremony Gary Lineker, Riz Ahmed, Ken Loach, Indira Varma Join Hundreds In Signing Open Letter Condemning BBC "Censorship On Palestine" As Gaza Documentary Row Deepens Sources say Moore has been in talks for months with Wayne Garvie, president of Sony Pictures Television, International, about a unique role. These discussions overlapped with Moore being courted for an international role at Disney but in the end, she opted for Sony. 'I think a creative challenge without the politics of a global company had more appeal to her in a post-BBC life,' said an indie boss who is close with Moore. She will report to Garvie, cementing a years-long friendship between the two executives. Moore is a discrete individual, meaning the news of her departure was a complete surprise to colleagues at the BBC, where she has overseen television output for the past eight years. 'We're totally shocked,' said one senior commissioner. 'We were all kept in the dark.' The BBC is yet to comment on succession plans but in his note to staff, BBC Director General Tim Davie said 'interim plans will be confirmed shortly' and the search for Moore's permanent successor begins immediately. Early speculation has alighted on unscripted chief, and Moore confidante, Kate Phillips taking on the caretaker role while recruitment is live. She has been unofficially acting up in recent weeks after Moore injured herself on holiday. Moore has been an unflinching advocate for the power of public service broadcasting, and the glowing tributes to the job she has done suggest she will leave big shoes to fill. 'She is irreplaceable,' said Nisha Parti, who produced BBC drama The Boy with the Topknot and cited Moore's above-and-beyond work blooding diverse talent. 'Charlotte Moore has done more for the BBC and the TV industry than almost anyone will ever realize.' One of her new Sony colleagues praised her ability to 'always seem so calm and so easy to access despite all the endless problems that one faces running the BBC.' Those 'endless problems' will soon be a thing of the past for Moore. On the day she announced her exit, the BBC Board, which she sits on, is meeting to discuss the corporation's latest editorial controversy, the Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone doc. In his staff memo, Davie, who went up against Moore for the Director General gig four years ago, lavished praise on Moore, saying she had 'helped transform the BBC in a world of intense competition and choice.' The former documentary commissioner's legacy at the BBC encompasses hits like Bodyguard, I May Destroy You, The Traitors, and Gavin & Stacey: The Finale. She was the brains behind the BBC's biggest commissioning revamp in its 100-year history, which saw the corporation do away with channel controllers in order to pivot towards iPlayer — a move that has since become a model for its rivals. Jobs like this don't come around very often. Indeed, as detailed by Deadline at the start of the year, there has been a period of unprecedented stability at the top of British television, with content chiefs at the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 all having been in post for record periods of time. WhatsApp is pinging to the sound of potential contenders to replace Moore, so allow Deadline to walk you through some of the names who are likely to be in the mix as the BBC prepares for a new era. Anne Mensah, Netflix's UK Vice President of Content Mensah will surely be a candidate near the top of the BBC's wishlist. The Netflix executive wowed colleagues in Los Gatos with a parade of hits last year, as British shows including Baby Reindeer, Fool Me Once, The Gentlemen, and One Day all dominated the streamer's most-watched list. Baby Reindeer has also been a darling of awards season, clinching Emmy and Golden Globe prizes. Mensah loves the BBC and has previously served as its head of independent drama, but can the corporation afford her? Moore earned £468,000 ($590,000) last year. And would Netflix mount a rearguard action to keep its prized executive? There is broad agreement that she is qualified to succeed Moore, but uncertainty over whether it's the right job at the right time for Mensah. 'Can't see her doing that,' was the verdict of one well-connected television executive. Zai Bennett, BBC Studios Productions CEOEx-BBC Three controller and Sky Studios exec Zai Bennett has just commenced his new job running BBC Studios Productions but at least half a dozen sources floated his name straight off the bat. Bennett, whose credits at Sky included Chernobyl, Gangs of London and Patrick Melrose, is a popular programs exec who is equally adept across scripted and non-scripted, which would be enormously valuable for whoever replaces Moore. He only came in for Ralph Lee at BBC Studios in November but an insider with knowledge of the BBC Studios interview process said Bennett's role is viewed as something of a springboard to the top BBC content job. 'It's arguably a much better fit for Zai than his current role,' noted this source. Nevertheless, it would still be surprising if Bennett was to move so early in his BBC Studios tenure. Kate Phillips, BBC Director of UnscriptedAs soon as Davie told staff an interim plan would be announced shortly, sources from within and outside the corporation speculated that unscripted supremo Kate Phillips would be a good fit. Phillips is incredibly close to Moore and has been across some of the BBC's biggest recent hits, including The Traitors. In 2022, she took on the Director of Unscripted role overseeing hundreds of hours worth of shows per year. Notably, that position was created for Phillips by Moore following the botched Factual, Arts and Classical Music Director recruitment process. In terms of taking on Moore's role permanently, sources noted that Phillips is popular, has good relationships with indies and is commercially minded given her previous experience in distribution. She has also been at the coalface of major BBC scandals, not least those involving Strictly Come Dancing and MasterChef host Gregg Wallace. Having said this, given some of the allegations against Wallace are alleged to have happened on her watch, this could count against her. In recent weeks, we are told that Phillips has at points been acting up for Moore after Moore broke her ankle while skiing, and she is understood to have been dipping her toe into drama. Lack of drama experience would be the main factor counting against Phillips. Jay Hunt, Creative Director, Europe, Apple TV+Hunt was one of the first names on people's lips after news of Moore's exit broke today. The Apple TV+ executive boasts a CV of high-ranking roles (not least BBC One Controller and Channel 4 Head of Content), which means she is comfortably qualified. The more pertinent question is: is the job big enough for Hunt? She was in the mix to become Channel 4's CEO in 2017 and was talked about as a potential BBC Director General in 2020, but both jobs went elsewhere. Sources say she will be among the favorites when the same vacancies open up again. In the meantime, Hunt can point to Apple success stories including Slow Horses and Bad Sisters. She also has her hands full as the chair of the BFI — a role that has seen her re-emerge in the public spotlight after years of laying low at Apple. Kevin Lygo, ITV Managing Director of Media and EntertainmentThe veteran executive would surely be considered by the BBC should he indicate a willingness to succeed Moore. He is ITV's longest-serving content chief, overseeing hits including Love Island, The 1% Club, and Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Does he have the appetite for another major role? People have their doubts. And perhaps more to the point, is he the right fit for the BBC? He is a commercial broadcasting animal and something of a mischievous spirit when talking on public platforms, which may not sit well with the BBC's more buttoned-up approach to communication. Controversies on Lygo's watch, including the Phillip Schofield crisis and the 2007 Big Brother racism scandal, would also be raked over if he were elevated to the BBC. Ben Frow, Paramount's UK Chief Content OfficerFrow would be a surprise pick for the BBC, but that certainly does not mean that he would be an unpopular pick. Often lauded for his maverick attitude to commissioning, Paramount's UK creative boss has impressively reinvented and reinvigorated Channel 5 over a sustained period. His hit list includes All Creatures Great and Small and Michael Palin in North Korea. Frow likes to work with a small and well-drilled content team, which could be attractive for the BBC at a time when the corporation is cutting costs. Channel 5's ability to be nimble suits his skillset, meaning the BBC may seem like too much of an oil tanker. Frow is never shy of a challenge, however, and has the chutzpah to back himself for a bigger role. Patrick Holland, Banijay UK CEOBanijay UK boss Patrick Holland had a successful stint running BBC Two at a time when Moore was BBC One Controller, and they would have worked closely together for years. He left the BBC following the commissioning revamp and has been making an impact at Big Brother maker Banijay UK, striking splashy talent deals with the likes of James Norton, acquiring labels, and consolidating others. As with Moore, he was originally a docs commissioner and would be an experienced hand. He is thought, however, to be happy at Banijay, with no plans to move. Ian Katz, Chief Content Officer, Channel 4Sources think that it is likely that BBC headhunters will consider Katz, but whether he is a serious candidate is a matter of debate. Katz is well-liked by industry colleagues, but Channel 4 has hit stormy weather during his tenure and people question whether he has done enough to replenish the broadcaster's stock of returnable hits. Katz will point to success stories including The Piano, The Jury: Murder Tria and Big Boys, as well as big swings such as the deal to bring Taskmaster to Channel 4. He is also no stranger to the BBC having edited Newsnight in a past life. An outside bet. Jane Turton, All3Media CEOThe highly-regarded All3Media CEO was an outside bet for Director General four years ago and, although her overlords are American, she has always been quite the cheerleader for British public service broadcasting. At All3Media, Turton has been part of huge BBC hits like The Traitors and Fleabag, and she is admired within the corporation. While she no doubt has many fans in the world of British broadcasting, sources noted that Turton's strength lies in her business and finance acumen over her creative background, which could count against her should she go for the role. 'I'm not sure she'd want it unless it could lead to her becoming Director General,' mused one former colleague. OutsidersOther names are circulating the rumor mill this afternoon. Could Liam Keelan follow up running Disney's EMEA content with a tilt at Moore's role? He is well-liked and has vast experience working for the BBC. Other more leftfield potentials include Ben Stephenson, the former BBC drama chief now running production outfit Poison Pen; Julian Bellamy, MD of ITV Studios; Polly Hill, the ITV drama boss recently courted for Keelan's role at Disney; and Angela Jain, head of unscripted at ITV Studios. Mystery CandidateIf the BBC casts its net wide, would it look to America for a big-hitter? These recruitment processes often produce a leftfield candidate and poaching an executive from a U.S. network or streaming service could be appealing to BBC boss Davie, who perennially talks about the competition from these companies. There may well be a dark horse not among today's speculation. 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