Did having a social conscience force Gary Lineker off the BBC? Or was becoming increasingly vocal politically just too problematic?
The former England captain was given an exemption, as a freelancer working outside of news and current affairs, from impartiality rules the BBC’s staff have to abide by – despite being the broadcaster’s highest earner at £1.35m.
That meant he was even handed BBC primetime coverage recently, in which he critiqued the BBC’s coverage of the Middle East conflict, disputing the news side’s decision-making.
Silence on Gaza, he claimed, equates to complicity.
And Lineker has sought to show empathy with those suffering in Gaza and the mounting Palestinian death toll from IDF strikes, which Israel says are targeted at Hamas.
He has, however, faced accusations of inconsistency by being silent on other conflicts in Sudan and Yemen.
And also for showing little public concern for hostages taken by Hamas during the terror of 7 October – including Emily Damari, a fan of one of his former clubs, Tottenham Hotspur.
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Highly-selective commentaries have been shared, often from fringe groups.
And then came last week’s rat emoji, which appeared on an anti-Zionist post shared on Instagram, which Lineker reposted and said he later deleted when he learned about the rat’s symbolism.
Images of rats have in the past been used to represent Jewish people in antisemitic propaganda, including in Nazi Germany.
The incident produced an unprecedented apology from the ex-footballer, who said he was unaware of connotations offensive to Jewish people.
Read more:
Lineker releases statement as BBC departure confirmed
The BBC’s impartiality guidelines explained
A history of Gary Lineker’s most controversial posts
As BBC Director General Tim Davie said: “The BBC’s reputation is held by everyone, and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.”
The lack of public response from the BBC to Lineker’s apology made his future seem increasingly untenable.
Now, three decades broadcasting on the BBC will end under a cloud of controversy rather than celebration.
Lineker is even freer to give opinions – particularly through his podcast empire – and many do want to listen to him and welcome his status being used to highlight the plight of the besieged.
But the BBC can breathe easier knowing the fallout from social media posts won’t land at the corporation’s door.
