Network’s Highest-Paid Host Gets Axed After More Than 2 Decades

Gary Lineker has made his exit from the BBC after 30 years following a social media scandal.

The BBC’s highest-paid presenter, who has earned the equivalent of $1.8 million dollars, officially left the network a year earlier than planned after presenting the Match of the Day highlights show on Sunday.

Lineker’s early exit comes after he shared an Instagram video from the Palestine Lobby account that included a cartoon rat over a pro-Palestine post about Zionism. When it was pointed out that the rat has been used as an antisemitic trope since Nazi Germany, Lineker deleted his post and apologized, saying in a statement that he would “never knowingly share anything antisemitic.”

Regardless, Lineker, who has presented Match of the Day for 25 years and has been the BBC’s highest-paid presenter for seven years, agreed to step back amid calls for his firing.

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BBC director general Tim Davie said, “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.” Davie continued, “Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. 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.”

Lineker added in his own statement, “I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for. However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”

Davie had previously expressed his feelings about Lineker’s social media behavior during a speech about the company’s future in Salford. “The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us,” he said, as per The Guardian. “I think we absolutely need people to be exemplars of the BBC’s values and follow our social media policy. Simple as that.”