BBC takes Gary Lineker OFF AIR: Presenter will step down from Match of the Day ‘temporarily’ after his asylum policy tweet breached impartiality rules
Gary Lineker will not present Match of the Day this weekend, amid the ongoing backlash over tweets made by the BBC presenter about the Government’s migrant crackdown.
A spokesperson for the corporation confirmed the former England captain’s tweets – which compared new plans to tackle small boats to Nazi Germany – were in breach of the BBC’s guidelines.
Lineker will ‘step back’ from presenting the popular football show, pending further discussions between the star and BBC bosses about his use of social media.
The spokesperson said: ‘The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.
‘The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.
‘When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.’
