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By MIKE KEEGAN Published: 02: 00 AEST, 20 May 2025 | Updated: 02: 00 AEST, 20 May 2025 54 View comments Gary Lineker has been kicked out of the BBC – and will not receive a pay-off. The veteran broadcaster, who was due to front the broadcaster’s World Cup coverage next year, will instead be shown the door following his final Match of the Day appearance on Sunday night. In a telling statement, the BBC confirmed Lineker would be making an early exit – and referenced the self-inflicted antisemitism storm which was seen as ‘the final straw’ by bosses, according to insiders. There was also no mention of the 64-year-old’s departure being his own call. Instead, director Tim Davie said Lineker had ‘acknowledged the mistake he made’ after he shared an Instagram post criticising Zionism which included an illustration of a rat – a creature that has been used to represent Jews in anti-Semitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany. Lineker apologised and deleted the post but, following a long line of issues triggered by the former England striker airing his political views, the damage had been done. ‘Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season, ’ Davie added of Lineker, who was also set to host the BBC’s FA Cup coverage next season. Gary Lineker has been kicked out of the BBC and will not receive a pay-off as part of his exit Lineker is seen outside his home on Monday after his premature departure was announced The 64-year-old has hosted Match of the Day since 1999 but will leave the role this summer Lineker apologised on Instagram on Monday morning after having shared an anti-Semitic post The statement included a quote from Lineker, who received around £1. 35million last season – nearly double the salary of Zoe Ball, the second highest-paid presenter. ‘Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio, ’ he said. ‘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 anti-Semitic – it goes against everything I stand for. ‘However, I recognise the error and upset I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action. ’ Lineker’s posting of the clip – along with the rat image – was the latest serious headache he had caused for bosses at the BBC, which prides itself on impartiality. The Match of the Day host since 1999 was temporarily suspended in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticising the then-government's new asylum policy. That suspension led to a walkout, which left many staff infuriated and feeling they had ‘been backed into a corner’ with little option but to effectively go on strike, according to sources. The Leicester-born international was also among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC to rebroadcast a documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, on BBC i Player. The programme had been pulled after it emerged the 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. His latest online airing is said to have made his position ‘untenable’. Mail Sport understands it caused serious embarrassment for Davie, who sought counsel from director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, of whom Lineker had been openly critical in a recent newspaper interview. Lineker began as a Radio 5 Live presenter and also worked on Grandstand in his early years Only last week, Davie had given a lengthy and wide-ranging speech on the topics of trust, disinformation and impartiality at the Lowry Centre, in the shadow of the BBC’s Media City home in Salford, Greater Manchester. ‘The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us, ’ he told the audience. ‘And I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that. ’ Privately and behind the scenes, Davie was quick to act. A series of hastily arranged meetings were held amid the latest fallout. Davie is thought to have led on the decision with the full support of Kay-Jelski. Both were in agreement that Lineker’s position had become untenable. The situation, unsurprisingly, was the talk of the building at BBC bases in both Salford and London. Many of the staff are known to be fully behind the decision and had hoped for decisive action from above. ‘There’s a feeling of relief, ’ said one staffer who did not wish to be named. ‘We’re all subject to strict rules on what we can and can’t say and there was a feeling Gary could do what he wanted. Now nobody will have to brace themselves for what he posts next. ’ Indeed, the prospect of Lineker continuing to air such polarising views for 12 months – before being invited back onto the taxpayer-funded broadcaster to front World Cup coverage – was also viewed as ‘simply unpalatable’, according to those with knowledge of the situation. Contained within the initial announcement of Lineker’s original planned departure were details of a licensing deal between the BBC and his podcast production company. That agreement was for one year - and will not be extended. Whether Lineker appears elsewhere next summer remains to be seen. One door that is unlikely to be opened is at Qatari-owned be IN SPORTS, home to Richard Keys and Andy Gray after they left Sky amid a sexism furore. The prospect of Lineker continuing to air such polarising views for 12 months – before being invited back to front the BBC's World Cup coverage – was also viewed as ‘simply unpalatable’ Lineker will be replaced on Match of the Day by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman As Mail Sport revealed back in 2022 Lineker, who was an outspoken critic of the Qatar World Cup, had previously pocketed £1. 6m while working for the Gulf state’s sports broadcaster. He is known to have enraged bosses when he then gave a ‘virtue-signalling’ monologue ahead of the opening match – singling out the host’s record on migrant workers and immigration. Lineker will be replaced by Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, who will share the presenting role on Match of the Day from next season. They are also likely to step in for the World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Lineker started as a BBC Radio 5 Live presenter and also worked on Grandstand during his early years in broadcasting. This is not the ending he had hoped for. He will now turn his attention to his Goalhanger Podcasts empire, which reportedly received 400million downloads last year across its stable of shows, one of which - The Rest is Football - Lineker presents with BBC colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. Within the building, attention has already turned to Lineker’s Sunday send-off and there is a desire to do things the right way. Regardless of his exit, his service and longevity cannot be questioned. Davie emailed staff at 12. 06pm on Monday and shared the press release which was sent to media. Moments later a note from Kay-Jelski dropped into inboxes in London and Salford. It read: ‘You will have seen in the past few minutes that Gary Lineker will be leaving the BBC at the end of the current football season. Within the building, attention has already turned to Lineker’s final show on Sunday evening Lineker had just presented the BBC's live coverage of last Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley Lineker has a wide-ranging podcast empire to focus on after he makes his last BBC appearance ‘I appreciate the last week has been difficult and emotional for many of you. Thank you for all the messages and conversations, even if some of them weren’t easy to have. And I hope you understand I had to wait until now to tell you the news. ‘It is sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster and I also want to thank Gary for his years of service. As ever, if you have questions, you know where I am. ‘Let’s finish the season strongly with Gary's final show, enjoy an incredible summer of sport and look forward with excitement to what lies ahead. ’ Lineker is said to be ‘heartbroken’. His representatives have failed to respond to numerous requests for comment.

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