Gary Lineker’s return to BBC’s FA Cup coverage in days is officially confirmed – risking new row
THE BBC today confirmed Gary Lineker will host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage following a row over his inflammatory migrant tweets.
The announcement comes after a weekend of chaos saw schedules changed last-minute and a different format for Match of the Day.
Lineker, 62, will now return to screens to front this weekend’s FA Cup action after striking a deal with the BBC.
But The Sun reported how his return could spark a new row between the broadcaster and Tory party if he fails to apologise.
The BBC will now review its social media guidelines, they announced today.
The mayhem erupted after Lineker criticised Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s small boats plan.
The legislation will see migrants swiftly detained and removed to either their country of origin or a safe third state within 28 days.
Sharing the clip, Lineker said: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
Responding to another user who described him as “out of order”, he added: “We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
“This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”
Lineker was accused by the BBC of breaking their strict impartiality rules that state staff must “avoid taking sides on political controversies” and “take care when addressing public policy matters”.
The BBC said the pundit’s comments were a “breach of our guidelines”.
Ms Braverman later said his comments were “offensive”.
She added: “To kind of throw out those kind of flippant analogies diminishes the unspeakable tragedy that millions of people went through…
“And I don’t think anything that is happening in the UK today can come close to what happened in the Holocaust.”
The broadcaster revealed on Friday he had been suspended and would not host Saturday’s Match of the Day – sparking a mutiny among his co-stars.
Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Jermaine Jenas, Alex Scott, Mark Chapman and Micah Richards refused to fill in with the football analysis show plunged into crisis.
Saturday’s night episode later aired with a stripped-back, 20 minute version that did not even feature the iconic theme tune.
Football Focus, Final Score, the Fighting Talk podcast and 5Live’s 606 football phone in were all canned as schedules were sent spiralling.
And last night’s Match Of The Day 2 ran for just 14 minutes, again with no commentary or presenters.
Director General Tim Davie told the BBC on Saturday he would “absolutely not” quit amid the fallout.
Asked if he was sorry about the way he handled the row, he added: “We made decisions and I made decisions based on a real passion about what the BBC is and it’s difficult.”
But the decision to review the BBC’s social media guidelines could prove an own goal for Mr Davie as they were written at his request to include the “Lineker Clause”.
This stated higher-profile presenters had an extra responsibility to avoid taking sides on political issues.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waded into the row on Saturday, saying the Lineker’s suspension is “rightly a matter” for the BBC, not him or Government.
He added that while he respected “not everyone will always agree” with Government policies, he praised the pundit for being a “great footballer and talented presenter”.