Gary Lineker's 26-year career at the BBC has come to an abrupt end following his sharing of a controversial pro-Palestine video containing an image of a rat.
The 64-year-old Match of the Day host, who was the corporation's highest-paid presenter, is expected to announce his immediate departure today, a week after plunging the broadcaster into yet another crisis.
The post, which attracted accusations of antisemitism, has been described as "the final straw" in a long-running battle between Lineker and BBC management over social media impartiality rules.
The controversy began on Monday, May 12, when Lineker shared a video on Instagram from the campaign group Palestine Lobby to his 1.2 million followers.
Gary Lineker will now leabe his role at the BBC this week
PA
The clip was captioned "Zionism explained in less than 2 mins" and featured Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu criticising Israel over its alleged occupation of Palestinian land.
Crucially, the video contained a cartoon image of a rat, which has historically been used as an antisemitic slur, including by Nazi Germany.
By Monday evening, a screengrab showing Lineker had shared the image was being circulated online, with the Campaign Against Antisemitism highlighting the post.
As outrage grew, Jewish groups called for Lineker's dismissal. The Campaign Against Antisemitism declared his "continued association with the BBC is untenable".
Former BBC television director Danny Cohen told the Telegraph: "Gary Lineker appears to have shared content about the Jewish state which echoes Nazi propaganda. This is utterly grim."
By Wednesday, Jewish BBC staff were privately expressing "disgust" over the corporation's failure to sack Lineker.
One employee said: "It is quite simply disgusting that the BBC has not kicked Lineker out. His repeated offensiveness to Jewish people has clearly brought the BBC into disrepute."
Facing mounting pressure, Lineker issued an unprecedented personal apology for the post.
"On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references," he said. "I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything anti-Semitic. It goes against everything I believe in."
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He added: "The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue. Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters."
Lineker concluded by taking "full responsibility for this mistake" and offering an "unreserved" apology.
BBC Director General Tim Davie responded to the growing controversy by emphasising the importance of following the broadcaster's social media guidelines.
Speaking at the Lowry arts centre in Salford, Davie said: "The BBC's reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us."
He added: "I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that."
This marked a significant shift in tone from the corporation, which had previously weathered several social media storms involving its highest-paid star.
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Gary Lineker shared a video on social media that included anti-Semitic imagery
Lineker's clash with the BBC over the rat image was merely the latest in a series of controversies regarding his social media activity. In 2021, he was briefly suspended after comparing the Conservative Government's rhetoric on immigration to that of Nazi Germany.
His suspension triggered a walkout by colleagues, causing Match of the Day to air without commentary or punditry for the first time in its history.
Despite the BBC subsequently strengthening its impartiality guidelines for presenters of "flagship programmes", Lineker continued to express political views.
In January 2024, he shared a post calling for Israel to be thrown out of international football, later deleting it.
What may have sealed Lineker's fate was a Telegraph interview published on Thursday, conducted before the antisemitism storm, in which he appeared to criticise his boss, BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski.
"He wants to change Match of the Day a bit," Lineker said of Kay-Jelski. "He has got no television experience."
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Gary Lineker and BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski do not see eye to eye
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In the same interview, Lineker went further than ever in his criticism of Israel, branding its response to October 7 as "beyond depraved" and "completely out of proportion".
By Friday, whispers began circulating that his departure was imminent.
Lineker presented the BBC's coverage of the FA Cup final on Saturday, making no mention of the controversy surrounding him.
By Sunday night, reports emerged that his early departure was a done deal. A source told The Sun: "Gary acknowledged his position at the BBC, anchoring the most prestigious tournament in world football, was untenable."
The source added that Lineker "remains absolutely devastated by the recent turn of events and is deeply regretful about how his post was interpreted."
His final Match of the Day will air on Sunday, and he will not return to present the World Cup.
Gary Lineker took to Instagram to announce his decision to step down
This sorry end to Lineker's BBC career represents the culmination of years of tension between the presenter and management over social media impartiality rules.
As one BBC insider noted, Lineker had become "the perfect example of someone who doesn't think the rules apply to them".
For the corporation, this was ultimately about reputation management. Lineker had already caused damage with previous social media posts in the eyes of BBC bosses.
