Gary Lineker has been accused of promoting his own clothing range while presenting the BBC's coverage of England's opening Euros match against Serbia on Sunday. The Match of the Day host wore a pale green knitted T-shirt and a sage green jacket, both from his Next X Gary Lineker collection.
The BBC has stated that presenters are “regularly reminded of the guidelines in relation to clothing” after the incident. A spokesperson said: “Presenters/contributors provide their own wardrobe and all presenters/contributors are regularly reminded of the guidelines in relation to clothing, even if they are not doing proactive promotional work.”
BBC guidelines on conflicts of interest prohibit presenters from wearing clothing they are contracted to promote or in which they have a financial interest. Lineker, the BBC's highest-paid presenter, launched his range with Next in 2023. The green knitted T-shirt retails for £16 and the sage green linen blend jacket for £55.
This is not the first time Lineker has breached BBC rules. During the 2018 World Cup, he wore a TM Lewin shirt on Instagram after becoming the face of the brand. The BBC deemed it a “genuine mistake”. Lineker told OK! Magazine: “I’ve always got my own clothes and I’ve always dressed myself on television. There’s no wardrobe budget at BBC Sport so we all dress ourselves.”
Other presenters have faced similar reprimands. In 2022, Alex Scott was told to stop promoting Reiss clothing during World Cup coverage. Dan Walker, Helen Skelton, Karren Brady, and Paddy McGuinness have also been accused of breaking the rules.
