Gary Lineker, one of Britain’s most recognisable sports presenters and a former England football captain, will be leaving the BBC by “mutual agreement,” the public broadcaster announced on Monday. His departure follows significant public and internal discussion surrounding his vocal support for Palestinians and criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza, as well as a recent controversy over a separate social media post concerning Zionism.
Lineker’s exit is earlier than previously anticipated and means he will not front the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His final appearance hosting the flagship “Match of the Day” programme is scheduled for this coming Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The decision for his departure crystallized after Lineker, 64, apologised last week for sharing a social media post related to Zionism which reportedly featured an image of a rat, a symbol historically used as an antisemitic trope. Lineker stated he deleted the post upon learning of its offensive connotations and reiterated on Monday that he would “never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic.”
However, Lineker’s expressions of support for Palestinian rights and his critique of Israel’s brutal genocide in Gaza had reportedly already caused significant friction with the BBC, and were a prominent factor in the circumstances leading to his departure. In an interview with The Telegraph published on May 15, 2025, Lineker had elaborated on his stance regarding the Gaza conflict. He described the besieged enclave as an “outdoor prison” that Israel was “bombing.”
“Obviously, October 7 was awful, but it’s very important to know your history and to study the massacres that happened prior to this, many of them against the Palestinian people,” Lineker stated in The Telegraph interview. He added, “Yes, Israelis have a right to defend themselves. But it appears that Palestinians don’t – and that is where it’s wrong.” He also questioned the long-term justification of Israel’s actions in the interview, saying, “I understand that they needed to avenge, but I don’t think they’ve helped their own hostage situation at all. People say it’s a complex issue, but I don’t think it is. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems, and I just feel for the Palestinians.”
These public statements added to previous instances where Lineker’s political commentary – including on UK government immigration policy, for which he was temporarily suspended in 2023, and Brexit – had reportedly conflicted with the BBC’s published impartiality guidelines for its presenters.
In relation to his departure, BBC Director General Tim Davie said, “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made [regarding the social media post on Zionism]. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.”
The BBC has faced persistent accusations from activists of “whitewashing Israeli crimes” and “vilifying Palestinian resistance” in its own coverage of the conflict.
Lineker commented, “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.”
Gary Lineker hosted “Match of the Day” for 25 years, becoming the BBC’s highest-paid presenter. His departure signals the end of a prominent era in British sports broadcasting and occurs amid ongoing debate regarding the expression of personal political views by high-profile figures associated with public service media organisations.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.