Lineker to return to Match of the Day

Gary Lineker
Photo: AFP

Gary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day after he was taken off air following an impartiality row in which he criticised the British government’s new asylum policy.

BBC director general Tim Davie announced an independent review will be carried out on social media guidelines.

Lineker said he backed the review and looked forward to getting back on air.

He said the last few days had been “surreal” and thanked people for their “incredible support”.

But today, after a weekend of disruption to its sport shows, the BBC continued to face criticism from a range of sides.

Tory backbench MP Philip Davies told the Mail Online the BBC’s decision was a “pathetic capitulation” to Lineker and the “start of the end for the licence fee”, while ex-cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg also warned the “licence fee has passed its sell-by date”.

Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell, meanwhile, said the return of Lineker was welcome, but said “much bigger questions remain about the impartiality and independence of the BBC from government pressures”.

She said: “The ongoing uncertainties around the future of the BBC are keeping it over a barrel and making it susceptible to political campaigns orchestrated by ministers, MPs and the right-wing press.

“This saga should prompt the government to examine how it protects and promotes a truly independent and impartial BBC.”

Ex-BBC News executive Sir Craig Oliver, who went on to be a Downing Street communications chief under then-Prime Minister David Cameron, described the situation as “a total mess” and said it was the “wrong choice” to have asked Lineker to step back in the first place.

Last week, in a tweet, Lineker compared the language used to set out the government’s asylum plan to “that used by Germany in the 30s”.

His words, about the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill, were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.

Lineker was told on Friday he had to apologise for his tweets or would be unable to present Match of the Day at the weekend.

When he refused to do so, he was taken off air, triggering an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators which disrupted weekend football coverage across the BBC.

Lineker has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 and is the BBC’s highest paid star, having earned about £1.35m in 2020-21. He is employed by the BBC on a freelance basis.