BBC takes Gary Lineker off ‘Match of the Day’ after ex-England striker criticises British government’s new asylum policy
- Former England star told by BBC to ‘step back’ from presenting his football TV show on Friday
- BBC considers Lineker’s ‘recent social media activity a breach of guidelines’ adding he should avoid taking sides on political issues
Gary Lineker was told by the BBC to “step back” from presenting his football show on Friday after the former England star sparked an impartiality row by criticising the British government’s new asylum policy.
The 62-year-old, who fronts the flagship Match of the Day programme, this week compared the language used to launch the new policy to the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany on Twitter.
The BBC said it considered Lineker’s “recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines”, adding he should avoid taking sides on political issues.
“The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
The row was sparked by Lineker’s response to a video in which Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled plans to stop migrants crossing the Channel on small boats.
Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid star, wrote on Twitter: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.