“After a surreal few days, I’m glad we got through this somehow. I want to thank everyone for the incredible support, especially my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the incredible show of solidarity . Football is a team sport but their support is overwhelming,” Lineker tweeted on Monday.
The BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, apologized and said the broadcaster would launch an independent review of its social media guidelines, with a focus on freelancers, such as Lineker.
“Everyone knows this is a difficult time for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audience. I apologize for this,” he said.
The BBC is funded by British taxpayers, it has a duty to be impartial in its news coverage, and has strict guidelines on the use of social media. Many have asked if these rules also apply to freelancers and employees who work outside of news and current affairs. Others have pointed to cases where BBC presenters have expressed their views and not been suspended, including Alan Sugar, host of the UK version of “The Apprentice,” who criticized a union boss on strikes .
Critics also point out that Richard Sharp, chairman of the BBC board, is being investigated for his role in securing a loan of $966,000 for former prime minister Boris Johnson. Sharp was appointed to his role at the BBC in 2021 on the recommendation of the government, which was led by Johnson at the time.
Lineker’s show, “Match of the Day,” presents highlights of Premier League soccer matches. Before he was the highest paid presenter of the BBC – he earned $ 1.6 million in 2022 – he was a famous sports star, who played for many top teams as well as in England, where he scored 48 goals in 80 games for his country.
The storm clouds descended after Lineker sent a tweet from his account on Tuesday, which has more than 8 million followers, about the government’s immigration policy.
“It’s just an immeasurably cruel policy aimed at the most vulnerable people in a language not unlike the one used in Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”
On Friday, the BBC announced that he would be stepping back from his presenting duties. Several BBC partners also walked out of the union, leading to a weekend of disrupted sports coverage.
Asked by the BBC on Monday if Lineker had agreed to stop tweeting about politics, Davie said Lineker would “follow editorial guidelines” while a review of the BBC’s social media policy takes place.
For his part, Lineker said that Davie has “an almost impossible job to keep everyone happy, especially in a place without prejudice. I’m glad we’ll continue to fight the good fight, together.”
He added: “No matter how difficult the last few days have been, it is nothing compared to fleeing your home from persecution or war to take refuge in a land far away.”
