Gary Lineker has expressed astonishment at the unwavering support he received from a BBC colleague following his temporary removal from Match of the Day in March 2023. The former England striker, who hosted the iconic football programme from 1999 until 2025, recounted the incident on The Louis Theroux Podcast.
Lineker Recalls WhatsApp Message
Lineker, now 65, faced backlash after posting comments on social media criticizing the government's asylum policy. He described the plans as "beyond awful" and likened the language used to that of "Germany in the 30s." The BBC subsequently announced that Lineker would step back from presenting Match of the Day until a resolution was reached regarding his social media activity.
However, the decision prompted several BBC sports presenters and pundits to show solidarity with Lineker. Among them was his Match of the Day co-star Ian Wright, who informed Lineker of his intentions via a WhatsApp group.
"I mean, Wrighty was first," Lineker recalled. "I was in a restaurant in London having lunch and got the news that they'd taken me off the show, which I saw on social media. They didn't tell me personally first, which I thought was a bit strange. And the day before I was having a chat, we had a little WhatsApp group chat with Alan [Shearer] and Wrighty and I said, 'I've got a feeling they might take me off the show,' and Wright immediately came back, 'Well if they do that, I'm not doing it in solidarity. I'm not doing Match of the Day.' It was like a real wow moment. Because I didn't ask them to do that."
Fallout and Resolution
The situation escalated to the point where Match of the Day aired without commentary or pundits. The BBC later issued a joint statement from Director-General Tim Davie and Lineker, confirming the end of the suspension and a review of the BBC's social media guidelines.
"Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences," Davie said. "I apologise for this. The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC's social media guidance that was introduced in 2020 is recognised. I want to get matters resolved and our sport content back on air."
Reflecting on the controversy, Lineker told Theroux: "I was totally at ease with what I'd done. I thought it was humanitarian, someone was having a real dig at me and not in a very nice manner. I responded, I thought I was factually correct."
Lineker's Departure from BBC
Lineker ultimately left Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 season. Initially, he was scheduled to continue covering the FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup for the BBC, but those plans changed in May 2025 following further scrutiny over his social media activity.
The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify and other podcast platforms.
