Gary Lineker has now confirmed he was sacked by the BBC following accusations that he posted antisemitic content on his Instagram page.
The 64-year-old sparked outrage after he shared a pro-Gaza post that appeared to represent supporters of Israel as rats, which he later apologised for.
The post, featuring the illustration of a rat, was published back in May, with rats historically being used as an antisemitic slur.
Just days after posting the story, he announced he would be leaving the BBC after 26 years. It was initially believed that he had quit the show; however, he has now revealed he was fired by BBC bosses.
Gary Lineker has finally admitted the truth behind his BBC departure
|PA
Late last year, Lineker announced he would be stepping away from Match Of The Day, but would continue hosting the World Cup in 2026 and this season’s FA Cup but after the post, he stepped away with immediate effect.
When he was asked if he had quit or been fired, he admitted: “The latter.”
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Following the ordeal, Lineker insisted he “missed” the rat emoji.
“I missed it [the rat emoji]. I genuinely didn’t see it,” he revealed to The New World.
The former presenter continued: “I’m not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there.
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Gary Lineker was axed by the BBC last month | PA"I wouldn’t do that on purpose - it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. It was a tough couple of days. People talked about me being antisemitic. I’m not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children,” the 64-year-old argued.
"I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough,” he concluded.
At the time of his exit, the BBC Director-General, Tim Davie, admitted that Lineker “had acknowledged his mistake.”
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The Director General said: “Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season. Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades.”
He continued: “His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond."
Gary Lineker will now focus on his podcast company
| GETTY"His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made,” the 58-year-old concluded.
While his time presenting with the BBC is over, Lineker has spent his career building his Goalhanger podcast business and will likely focus his attentions on that for the foreseeable future.