Gary Lineker news: Match of the Day star says ‘great to be here’ as he returns to BBC

Gary Lineker said it was “great to be here” as he returned to the BBC after he was forced off-air last week in a scandal over his comparison of the government to the Nazis over its use of language regarding asylum seekers.

The Match of the Day star returned to the screen to present live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley this evening, having been suspended last week over his comments.

As the pre-match coverage began, Mr Lineker’s co-presenter Alan Shearer addressed the row, saying “how upset we were about all the audiences who missed out” after Match of the Day went ahead with no presenters.

He went on: “It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned. Through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and radio were put in impossible situations and that wasn’t fair.

“It’s good to get back to normality and talk about football again.”

Mr Linker said: “I echo those sentiments.”

Key Points

• ‘Great to be here’: Lineker back on BBC

• ‘Totally disproportionate’: Lineker discusses small boats row

• Who is presenting Match of the Day tonight?

Lineker back on the BBC

20:29 , Liam James

Former England football captain Gary Lineker returned to host the BBC’s flagship soccer show on Saturday, a week after his suspension for criticising government immigration policy caused a row over the broadcaster’s impartiality rules.

BBC managers reversed their decision to suspend Mr Lineker, the broadcaster’s highest-paid presenter, after his colleagues refused to work in solidarity last weekend, forcing it to air soccer matches without normal commentary.

The controversy shook the public broadcaster, which is funded by a levy on nearly all British households with televisions, and which often faces accusations of bias from across the political spectrum.

“It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned,” Mr Lineker‘s co-presenter Alan Shearer said in a short statement to viewers before the start of the BBC’s broadcast of an FA Cup quarter-final game between Burnley and Manchester City.

“And through no fault of their own, some really great people on TV and in radio were put in an impossible situation, and that wasn’t fair. So it’s good to get back to some sort of normality and be talking about football again,” Shearer said.

Mr Lineker said: “I echo those sentiments.”

Match of the Day airs without Gary Lineker

22:39 , Liam James

Presenter Mark Chapman is taking the host spot on tonight’s Match of the Day as longtime presenter Gary Lineker was as the Etihad for the FA Cup quarter-final.

“Before you ask i was booked for this weeks ago,” Mr Chapman joked as he introduced the programme, referring to Mr Lineker’s suspension last week over his criticism of the government.

The pundit was joined in the studio by former Wales player Ashley Williams and former Manchester United player Dion Dublin.

Protesters rallying against small boats bill back Lineker

22:15 , Natalie Crockett

Protesters took to streets in cities across the UK on Saturday in an anti-racism demonstration organised partly in response to the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill.

The marches, organised by Stand Up To Racism and the STUC, were held in London, Glasgow and Cardiff on Saturday afternoon. Organisers said thousands of people took part in the action against racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, fascism and the far right.

Maria Frazier, 75, said she was protesting against the Government because she agreed with Gary Lineker’s comment comparing some of the language used around its immigration policies to those of 1930s Germany.

Speaking outside the BBC’s headquarters in central London, she said: “Lineker was right when he said there are shades of the German Reich in the methods that they’re using.

“People are turning out because they’re extremely angry at the way the economy is being run and the deprivation that’s going on while the rich people in power make themselves richer.”

Protesters take to streets in anti-racism demonstration

ICYMI: How the Gary Lineker and Match of the Day chaos unfolded

21:30 , Natalie Crockett

The BBC’s decision to stand Lineker down from its flagship football highlights programme last week caused a pundit boycott and left producers scrambling to keep the show alive.

The Independent was told that the BBC hierarchy, above BBC Sport, wanted Lineker to agree to a public statement that would have essentially amounted to an apology and an expression that he would be more careful on social media, which sources close to the situation said would have been rightly seen as the presenter “humiliating himself”.

Miguel Delaney had the inside story of how it happened.

How Match of the Day fell apart within ‘minutes’

‘Back in the game’: Lineker’s son hails dad’s return

19:20 , Liam James

George Lineker has welcomed his father Gary’s return to the BBC.

The younger Lineker earlier this week revealed he had suffered from the fallout of his father’s suspension, as he shared an abusive message he had received on Twitter regarding the incident.

18:48 , Liam James

Lineker applauded Erling Haaland’s goalscoring prowess after the Manchester City forward put two away in the first half at the Etihad.

18:40 , Liam James

More from Gary Lineker now as the match goes to half-time.

The pundit makes his return to the BBC with a croaky voice.

Besides that, and Alan Shearer’s earlier comments, the BBC’s coverage of the match has gone ahead as usual.

Children’s author follows up Lineker’s ‘Nazi’ comments

18:34 , Liam James

Children’s author Michael Rosen has echoed the comments that got Gary Lineker suspended, condemning the government’s Illegal Migration Bill and compared its rhetoric to that of 1930s Germany.

Speaking at a protest outside Downing Street, he told the PA news agency: “I think it’s very important that we stand by refugees and oppose this law that the government is bringing in to criminalise people arriving here as migrants and refugees.”

“I think that this government is playing a very dangerous game, they’re stoking people’s fears, particularly fears of the stranger,” he added.

“This is a very old game of scapegoating and blaming people – vulnerable people – and saying to people who are poor and people who are unhappy: ‘the cause of your poverty and the cause of your unhappiness are these people arriving in small boats’.

“This is what the government does to shore up power, they’re very, very nervous that they’re going to lose power.

“It was a game that was played during the 1940s, there was a word which circulated around fascists in the 1930s, a German word, ‘fremdmoral’, which means alien morals.”

Watch: Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer address Match of the Day scandal

18:02 , Liam James

Alan Shearer was given the bulk of the responsibility for addressing the controversy that saw last week’s Match of the Day go ahead with no presenters.

Watch below as the pundit tells viewers about the “impossible situations” in the football world after Gary Lineker was suspended for comparing the government’s language regarding small boats on the English channel to Nazi Germany:

Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer ‘glad to be back to normality’ in return to TV after BBC row

17:48 , Liam James

Gary Lineker returned to television screens on Saturday evening and, alongside fellow pundit Alan Shearer, addressed the situation last week which saw viewers faced with a wordless flagship football programme.

The BBC presenter was stood down from Match of the Day last weekend following his tweets on the UK government’s immigration policy.

Fellow pundits then followed him in opting against appearing on screen in solidarity, before a resolution was found during the week leading to Lineker and his team being reinstated for an FA Cup clash.

A prerecorded introduction saw Lineker’s first words highlight Vincent Kompany’s return to the Etihad Stadium, now as head coach of the visitors, before Lineker - seemingly struggling with a slight lack of voice - handed over to Shearer in-studio.

Shearer then spoke of the situation faced by fellow broadcasters and commentators last week.

More from Karl Matchett here:

Lineker and Shearer ‘glad to be back to normality’ in return to BBC

Gary Lineker says it’s ‘great to be here’ as he returns to BBC

17:35 , Liam James

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has made his return to the BBC, telling viewers it was “great to be here” presenting the pre-match coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad.

Fellow pundit Alan Shearer addressed last week’s controversy, which saw Mr Linekeer taken off air after criticising the government’s asylum policy.

Mr Shearer said: “I just need to clear up and wanted to say how upset we were about all the audiences who missed out on last weekend.

“It was a really difficult situation for everyone concerned. through no fault of their own some really great people in TV and radio were put in impossible situations and that wasn’t fair.

“It’s good to get back to normality and talk about football again.”

Mr Linker said: “I echo those sentiments.”

Coverage of the upcoming match then commenced.

Where to watch Manchester City vs Burnley with Gary Lineker

17:22 , Liam James

Gary Lineker makes his return to the BBC at 5.30pm for the pre-match coverage of Manchester City vs Burnley in the FA Cup Quarter Final.

The match and the BBC’s coverage will be broadcast on BBC One and can also be viewed on iPlayer.

Gary Lineker set for BBC return during Saturday’s FA Cup coverage

17:04 , Liam James

Gary Lineker will present live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley on Saturday as he returns to TV screens following a row over impartiality.

It will mark the 62-year-old broadcaster’s first appearance on the BBC since he was told to step back from hosting Match Of The Day.

Ellie Lorizzo reports:

Gary Lineker set for BBC return during Saturday’s FA Cup coverage

Gary Lineker poses with 'teammates' ahead of BBC return

16:57 , Liam James

The Match of the Day star has again teased his imminent return to the BBC, posing in the studio with “teammates” and fellow pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.

Gary Lineker posts selfie ahead of return to BBC

16:30 , Liam James

Ahead of his return to BBC programming, Gary Lineker has posted a selfie to Twitter from the Etihad stadium, where he will present the broadcaster’s coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final match between Manchester City and Burnley.

The pundit will be live on BBC One at 5.30pm.

ICYMI - ‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker discusses small boats row in first TV appearance since BBC suspension

16:15 , Matt Mathers

Football presenter Gary Lineker has condemned the row over his suspension by the BBC because of his tweets as “totally disproportionate”.

But he said he received a large amount of support during his dispute with the BBC, which had been gratifying and “quite beautiful”.

It comes as the TV star’s agent said he believed he had a “special arrangement” with the broadcaster that allowed him to make comments about refugees and the small boats crisis.

Jane Dalton reports:

‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker discusses BBC row in first TV appearance

ICYMI: Stand up to snowflake MPs after Gary Lineker row, Starmer tells Sunak

14:42 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak must “stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech” following the Gary Lineker row, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader sought assurances that Conservative MPs or others connected to the party did not lobby the BBC to “effectively cancel” Match of the Day last weekend.

Richard Wheeler reports:

Stand up to snowflake MPs after Gary Lineker row, Starmer tells Sunak

ICMI: Lineker thought he had ‘special agreement’ with Tim Davie over tweets says agent

14:10 , Matt Mathers

Gary Lineker believed he had a “special agreement” with the BBC director-general to tweet about refugees and immigration, his agent has said.

Jon Holmes, who represents the Match Of The Day host, said the impartiality row resulting from Lineker’s recent online action had “collapsed into a shambles” despite his efforts to have everyone “calm down”.

Mike Bedigan has the story:

Lineker thought he had ‘special agreement’ with Tim Davie over tweets says agent

ICYMI: Next BBC chairman should not be a ‘political appointment’, says ex-news chief

13:50 , Matt Mathers

A former head of BBC television news has said the next BBC chairman should not be a “political appointment”.

Roger Mosey, who was also director of sport at the broadcaster, said it would be a “great act of statesmanship” for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to de-politicise the appointment.

Mike Bedigan reports:

Next BBC chairman should not be a ‘political appointment’, says ex-news chief

Re-cap: What did Gary Lineker say?

13:21 , Matt Mathers

The BBC was sent into meltdown this weekend after presenters and pundits staged a mutiny in solidarity with Gary Lineker, who has been forced off air over a tweet about the government’s asylum crackdown.

Lineker, who has hosted Match of the Day for almost a quarter of a century, has been embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

Emily Atkinson reports:

What did Gary Lineker say that sparked BBC suspension?

Gary Lineker reflects on ‘hugely gratifying’ support before BBC return

12:48 , Matt Mathers

Gary Lineker said as he returns to TV screens to present live coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley that his support from colleagues has been “hugely gratifying” and “quite beautiful”.

Saturday will mark the 62-year-old broadcaster’s first appearance on the BBC since he was told to step back from hosting Match Of The Day (MOTD) in a row over impartiality.

Ellie Lorizzo reports:

Gary Lineker reflects on ‘hugely gratifying’ support before BBC return

‘Back to the Saturday job'

12:07 , Matt Mathers

Supporters of Gary Lineker have been sending their best wishes to the football presenter as he makes his return to the BBC today.

The Match of the Day host returns to work to cover the FA Cup after being suspended for criticising the government’s migration plans.

“Back to the Saturday job,” Mr Lineker wrote on Twitter ahead of his appearance, alongside a strong arm emoji.

“Return of the Mack! Have a good one, Gary! one supporter replied. “Enjoy your day,” another added.

Who is presenting Match of the Day tonight?

11:45 , Matt Mathers

Mark Chapman, usually the presenter of 5 live Sport, will be presenting Match of the Day this Saturday night.

Many viewers had expected to see Gary Lineker return to his usual position leading the football match highlights programme this Saturday.

The BBC has worked to mend bridges with the presenter, after the row over his criticism of the government’s new policy on asylum seekers. On Monday the BBC hastily reversed its decision to suspend Lineker, after a storm of criticism.

Joseph Rachman reports:

Who is presenting Match of the Day tonight?

Next BBC chairman should not be a ‘political appointment’, says ex-news chief

11:23 , Matt Mathers

A former head of BBC television news has said the next BBC chairman should not be a “political appointment”.

Roger Mosey, who was also director of sport at the broadcaster, said it would be a “great act of statesmanship” for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to de-politicise the appointment.

Mike Bedigan reports:

Next BBC chairman should not be a ‘political appointment’, says ex-news chief

Re-cap: how did the Lineker row unfold?

10:50 , Matt Mathers

BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker has been embroiled in a row over impartiality after criticising the Government’s Illegal Immigration Bill in a post on Twitter.

The row has made headlines and front pages.

Here is a timeline of how events unfolded:

How the Gary Lineker tweet row unfolded

Why Gary Lineker won’t be on Match of the Day tonight

10:15 , Matt Mathers

Match of the Day viewers hoping to see Gary Lineker back at the helm of the Saturday night highlights programme will be kept waiting a little longer, following the BBC row over his criticism of government policy on asylum-seekers.

BBC sports programming fell into crisis last weekend after the presenter of 24 years was asked to step back from Match of the Day, prompting his fellow presenters, pundits and commentators to withdraw their own labour in solidarity.

But despite Lineker’s reinstatement on Monday, the star presenter will not be hosting the highlights show on Saturday night.

Andy Gregory reports:

Why Gary Lineker won’t be on Match of the Day tonight

‘Totally disproportionate'

09:18 , Matt Mathers

Football presenter Gary Lineker has condemned the row over his suspension by the BBC because of his tweets as “totally disproportionate”.

But he said he received a large amount of support during his dispute with the BBC, which had been gratifying and “quite beautiful”.

It comes as the TV star’s agent said he believed he had a “special arrangement” with the broadcaster that allowed him to make comments about refugees and the small boats crisis.

Jane Dalton reports:

‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker discusses BBC row in first TV appearance

What to expect from BBC social media review

06:45 , Jane Dalton

BBC director-general Tim Davie announced a review of social media guidelines as he recognised “the potential confusion caused by the grey areas” of the guidance.

Details of the review:

What can we expect from a BBC social media review after the Lineker row?

BBC apologised to staff and viewers

03:45 , Jane Dalton

The corporation apologised for a “difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters, and most importantly, our audiences”:

Gary Lineker to return to Match of the Day as BBC apologises

Presenter also earns from film and podcast company

01:50 , Jane Dalton

Gary Lineker tops up £1.35m BBC salary with more licence fee money, The Telegraph has reported.

It says he and other BBC broadcasters have worked on podcasts or television programmes made by Lineker’s Goalhanger film and podcast companies.

A BBC spokesman told the paper: “Gary is a freelance presenter and his BBC pay for that role is published annually, under transparency obligations in the BBC Charter.

“This is entirely separate to any programmes the BBC commissions from Goalhanger Productions, an independent production company.”

What are BBC guidelines on impartiality?

00:10 , Jane Dalton

What the BBC guidelines state and how they apply to Lineker:

What are the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality and do they apply to Gary Lineker?

Presenter backs UK trophy-hunt crackdown

Friday 17 March 2023 22:55 , Jane Dalton

Gary Lineker was among celebrities who supported a UK ban on imports of hunting trophies.

Rebel Tories threaten to wreck trophy hunt ban backed by Ed Sheeran

The tweets that started it all

Friday 17 March 2023 21:55 , Jane Dalton

The debacle began when Lineker tweeted the government’s small boats approach was “an immeasurably cruel policy”:

What did Gary Lineker say?

‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker’s first TV appearance since BBC suspension

Friday 17 March 2023 19:34 , Jane Dalton

Football presenter Gary Lineker has condemned the row over his suspension by the BBC because of his tweets as “totally disproportionate”:

‘Totally disproportionate’: Gary Lineker discusses BBC row in first TV appearance

What can we expect from a BBC social media review after the Lineker row?

Friday 17 March 2023 15:15 , Andy Gregory

The director-general at the BBC, Tim Davie, has announced a review into social media guidelines as he recognised “the potential confusion caused by the grey areas” of the guidance, following the recent impartiality row over a tweet by Gary Lineker.

Ahead of the recently announced review, we look at what we know so far and how the review may be conducted based on the 2020 update.

Watch: Keir Starmer tells Rishi Sunak to 'stand up to snowflake MPs' over Gary Lineker BBC row

Friday 17 March 2023 12:44 , Andy Gregory

Ian Wright says ‘heads have got to roll’ after BBC management caused ‘hot mess’ over Gary Lineker row

Friday 17 March 2023 11:54 , Andy Gregory

Ian Wright has said “heads have got to roll” after managers at the BBC caused a “hot mess” at the weekend by asking Gary Lineker to step away from Match Of The Day.

During the beginning of the podcast Wrighty’s House, the 59-year-old said the row had been a “perfect distraction from what really matters”.

He added: “For me, they made a hot mess. I’m telling you, this is all from high up, I can’t blame my man (the head of BBC TV Sport) Philip Bernie, the BBC Sports team. All of this is over a tweet.”

Charlotte McLaughlin has the full report:

Ian Wright says ‘heads have got to roll’ after BBC Gary Lineker row

Stand up to snowflake MPs after Gary Lineker row, Starmer tells Sunak

Friday 17 March 2023 10:47 , Richard Wheeler

Rishi Sunak must “stand up to his snowflake MPs waging war on free speech” following the Gary Lineker row, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader sought assurances that Conservative MPs or others connected to the party did not lobby the BBC to “effectively cancel” Match of the Day last weekend.

Stand up to snowflake MPs after Gary Lineker row, Starmer tells Sunak

Match of the Day theme tune drowns out BBC interview outside parliament after Gary Lineker row

Friday 17 March 2023 09:54 , Andy Gregory

The Match of the Day theme tune interrupted a BBC News interview outside parliament earlier this week.

As Tory MP Harriett Baldwin spoke about the Budget, she was drowned out by the iconic music from the famous football highlights programme.

It was blasted out around Westminster following the controversy surrounding the BBC and presenter Gary Lineker, who was told to step aside from last weekend’s Match of the Day after tweeting criticism about the government’s asylum policy.

My colleague Oliver Browning has more details:

Match of the Day theme tune drowns out live BBC interview after Gary Lineker row

Faith in BBC director general ‘at all time low’, claims union

Friday 17 March 2023 09:12 , Andy Gregory

Faith in BBC director-general Tim Davie is at an “all-time low” after the suspension and reinstatement of presenter Gary Lineker, a Union of Journalists official has said.

BBC programming was hit by strikes earlier this week, in which around 1,000 journalists were forecast to take part.

Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell – who was among those on a picket line outside Broadcasting House on Wednesday – said that BBC journalists had been “forced to strike” by proposed cuts to local radio.

Next BBC chair should not be ‘political appointment’, says ex-head of news

Friday 17 March 2023 09:04 , Andy Gregory

Roger Mosey, a former head of BBC television news and director of sport, has said the next BBC chair should not be a “political appointment” – claiming it would be a “great act of statesmanship” for Rishi Sunak to de-politicise the appointment.

It comes amid debate about the position of BBC chair Richard Sharp, who is subject to an ongoing review after it emerged he helped former prime minister Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility.

Speaking on Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch podcast, Mr Mosey said it would be “an enormous gain” to have the future chairman be “someone who is not seen as being in a pocket of one party or another”.

Questions about Mr Sharp's position as BBC chairman have mounted following the recent impartiality row over tweets sent by Gary Lineker comparing the government’s language around asylum to that of Germany in the 1930s.

Gary Lineker had a ‘special arrangement’ with the BBC to tweet about refugees, says agent

Friday 17 March 2023 09:01 , Andy Gregory

Gary Lineker believed he had a “special arrangement” with the BBC allowing him to make comments about refugees and the small boats crisis, his agent has claimed.

Jon Holmes represents the football presenter, described the row as descending into “shambles” despite efforts to have “everyone calm down.”

He has claimed that his client believed he had an understanding with Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, that he could make public statements on certain issues.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley has the full report:

Gary Lineker had a ‘special arrangement’ with the BBC to tweet about refugees

Gary Lineker criticises Tory MP for ‘outrageous’ Nazi claim comments

Friday 17 March 2023 09:00 , Andy Gregory

Gary Lineker has hit back at a Conservative MP who falsely suggested that the BBC presenter had called so-called “red wall” voters in the north and Midlands “Nazis” and “racist bigots”, our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports.

Jonathan Gullis, Tory MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, said Rishi Sunak’s planned small boats crackdown had “upset all the right people in the right places”.

Reacting to a clip of the interview, Twitter user Simon Harris said: “I don’t think Gary Lineker has actually directly called red wall voters ‘Nazis’ Mr Gullis.”

Lineker then replied himself, tweeting: “No he hasn’t and never would. This is outrageous and dangerously provocative.”

Gary Lineker slams Tory MP for ‘outrageous’ Nazi claim comments

Friday 17 March 2023 08:58 , Andy Gregory

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage, as Gary Lineker is set to return to present the first Match of the Day since he was reinstated by BBC bosses.

Opinion: Should celebrities ever hold their bosses to ransom?

Friday 17 March 2023 21:35 , Jane Dalton

Celebrities can be “too big to fail”, and broadcasters can be too reliant on them to sometimes do the right thing, writes Sean O’Grady:

Should celebrities ever hold the corporations they work for to ransom? | Sean O’Grady