Gary Lineker will leave the BBC this weekend without a payoff, days after he apologised for amplifying online material with antisemitic connotations. The presenter, the highest-paid on-air star at the BBC, had been scheduled to present the 2026 World Cup and next season’s FA Cup for the corporation. However, insiders said his position had become untenable amid continuing anger over the social media post. He will now in effect end his 30-year relationship with the BBC after fronting his last Match of the Day this weekend.
The decision to allow him to present the final Match of the Day of the season has also led to criticism, with some industry figures accusing the BBC of allowing him to leave on his own terms, despite admitting a serious error of judgment. Reports of Lineker’s early departure emerged on Sunday night, a day after he presented the BBC’s FA Cup final coverage. It was confirmed on Monday by Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general.
Last week, the 64-year-old apologised after it emerged he had reposted a pro-Palestine video on Instagram that criticised Zionism and included an illustration of a rat, an antisemitic trope. Lineker said in a statement that he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic” and had deleted the post “as soon as I became aware of the issue”. Yesterday, he acknowledged that the post had “awful connotations”, but said he had not seen the emoji. “Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action,” he said.
The BBC will now begin a new era of coverage without Lineker. He will be replaced on Match of the Day by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman. Danny Cohen, the BBC’s former director of television, questioned why Lineker was allowed to front one last show, saying: “He should not be allowed a final swan song this weekend. And why the BBC’s statement does not even mention antisemitism is hard to understand.” Another BBC staffer said: “It seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation. As a Jewish member of staff, that feels like a betrayal.”
