Gary Lineker had 'special arrangement with BBC' over Twitter claims his agent
Gary Lineker's agent has claimed he had a special arrangement with the Director-General of the BBC
PA
Gary Lineker had a “special arrangement” with the BBC which allowed him to voice his opinion on the migrant crisis, according to his agent.
Lineker hit headlines last week after sharing a number of tweets in which he criticised the Government’s illegal migration policy, comparing it to 1930s Germany.
Concerns were raised about his lack of impartiality despite working for the BBC, something the corporation upholds as one of its core values.
But the former England footballer’s agent, Jon Holmes, has claimed that the Director-General Tim Davie and Lineker had an arrangement which meant he was allowed to make statements publicly on specific topics.
Gary Lineker is set to return to presenting at the BBC this weekendPAHolmes called the impartiality row a “shambles” and said his phone had started ringing “excessively” after Lineker’s tweet.
“My phone started ringing excessively on the afternoon of Tuesday March 7 after Suella Braverman had made her statement on the government's small boats policy in the Commons," said Holmes, writing in The New Statesman.
"Gary Lineker, with whom I've worked since 1980, had tweeted about the policy, reiterating his support for refugees.
"Gary takes a passionate interest in refugees and immigration and, as he saw it, had a special agreement with Tim Davie, the BBC's director-general, to tweet about these issues."
BBC Director-General Tim Davie said a review of the social media guidelines was being launchedPAReflecting on the events that followed, he said he was “summoned” to the BBC and attempts were made to calm down the situation caused by his client.
He urged the BBC not to take Lineker off air and insisted the rules surrounding the requirements for freelance presenters to remain impartial, and the guidelines surrounding the topic were “a bit vague”.
He revealed the former footballer had been asked several times to appear on politically based programmes on the BBC but had always turned the requests down.
Earlier this week, Ofcom said the BBC’s reputation had been damaged as a result of the row.
The BBC made a U-turn as they reinstated Lineker position at the broadcasterPAReflecting on the events that followed, he said he was “summoned” the the BBC and attempts were made to calm down the situation caused by his client.
He urged the BBC not to take Lineker off air and insisted the rules surrounding the requirements for freelance presenters to remain impartial, and the guidelines surrounding the topic were “a bit vague”.
He revealed that Lineker had been asked several times to appear on politically based programmes on the BBC but had always turned the requests down.
Earlier this week, Ofcom said the BBC’s reputation had been damaged as a result of the row.
The chief executive of the broadcast regulator, Melanie Dawes, said: “Clearly an episode like this goes straight to the heart of that wider reputation beyond their news and current affairs coverage.
“I think they need to do what they’re doing, which is to look at those guidelines and see whether they’re still right in a world of increasing use of social media, and look again at what they ask of contributors, as well as their staff.”
She added: “I think it’s been a really difficult episode for the BBC and I hope they can find their way through it, it looks like they have agreed for the moment a way forward.”
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