Lineker Euro 2024 outfits appear to breach BBC guidelines

Gary Lineker appears to have broken BBC guidelines by wearing his own range of Next menswear to present coverage of England’s opening game at the Euros.

The Match of the Day host signed a deal with the clothing brand last year and appears in promotional material.

Kicking off coverage of England vs Serbia, Lineker wore a pale green knitted T-shirt, to which he added a sage green jacket at half time. Both appear to be from the Next range that he endorses.

Yet BBC guidelines state: “Presenters or other individuals must not appear on-air wearing clothing or using products or services which they have agreed/been contracted to promote, advertise or endorse or in which they have a specific financial interest.”

They add that any deals to promote clothing must be declared to the BBC.

Lineker appears to wear the same T-shirt and jacket, retailing at £16 and £55 respectively, in a promotional video on Next’s social media channels.

During the 2018 World Cup, the BBC acknowledged that he had breached guidelines by promoting a TM Lewin shirt on Instagram after signing a deal to become the face of the brand.

On that occasion, the broadcaster said Lineker had made “a genuine mistake”.

More recently, Lineker’s colleague Alex Scott was told by the BBC during the 2022 World Cup that she could not promote fashion brands while presenting its coverage.

She broke the rules by posting a selfie on Instagram, in the BBC studio in Qatar, wearing a suit from Reiss. Scott was an ambassador for the brand and tagged them in the post.

“We have spoken with Alex, who has removed the tag and will not be repeating this,” a spokesman said.

Lineker has given several interviews about his deal with Next, which is headquartered in his home city of Leicester.

“Next, although known internationally of course, is also a brand with a strong connection to Leicester,” he said.

Discussing the clothes he wears on screen, he told OK! magazine: “I’ve always got my own clothes and I’ve always dressed myself on television. There’s no wardrobe budget at BBC Sport so we all dress ourselves.”

‘Quite flattering’

Collaborating with the retailer had improved his fashion sense, he claimed. “I’m not necessarily brilliant at putting things together. At least it makes it easier to get dressed for events now. I’ve got all these pictures so I can remember what goes with what,” he said.

Lineker also promoted the Next collaboration in an interview with The Guardian, explaining: “I think it’s because it’s British – from Leicester. And then they came to us with a range and I kind of liked it.

“It’s quite flattering that, in my grand old age, I can still do something like this.”

The range previously landed Lineker in trouble with PETA, the animal rights group, after he was pictured modelling a mohair suit jacket. Mohair is “made from the hair of abused goats”, PETA said.

Next did not respond to a request for comment.

The BBC said it would not comment on individuals, but a spokesman said: “Presenters/contributors provide their own wardrobe and all presenters/contributors are regularly reminded of the guidelines in relation to clothing, even if they are not doing proactive promotional work.”