Match of the Day host Gary Lineker anticipated to depart the BBC

Gary Lineker is ready to depart the BBC with a statement anticipated on Monday.

Speculation is mounting the 64-year-old will step down after he items his ultimate Match of the Day subsequent weekend.

Lineker, indexed because the highest-paid BBC presenter, were because of stay at the leading edge of the BBC’s protection of subsequent season’s FA Cup and the World Cup in 2026, in spite of up to now saying he’ll go away Match of the Day on the finish of this season.

But remaining week he needed to apologise after sharing a social media put up about Zionism that integrated a demonstration of a rat, traditionally used as an antisemitic insult.

Lineker stated he very a lot regretted the references, including he would by no means knowingly proportion anything else antisemitic.

Last week, BBC Director General Tim Davie stated: “The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.”

It is known that BBC bosses regarded as Lineker’s place untenable.

The former England striker has attracted grievance sooner than for his posts on social media prior to now.

He used to be briefly suspended from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over a put up during which he stated language used to advertise a central authority asylum coverage used to be “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.

The BBC’s social media laws had been then rewritten to mention presenters of flagship programmes outdoor information and present affairs – together with Match of the Day – have “a particular responsibility to respect the BBC’s impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC”.

In November 2024, Lineker introduced his departure from Match of the Day, however stated he would stay with the BBC to entrance FA Cup and World Cup protection.

In an interview previous this 12 months about leaving, Lineker stated he believed the BBC sought after him to depart Match of the Day as he used to be negotiating a brand new contract remaining 12 months, announcing: “Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that.”

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