Gary Lineker Says BBC Made Him Quit: Gary Lineker has described his departure from the BBC as “a case of quit or be quitted”, admitting that the fallout from a controversial social media post left him with little choice but to walk away from his long-standing role as the face of the broadcaster’s football coverage.
Gary Lineker Says BBC Made Him Quit
In an interview with The New World, formerly The New European, the 64-year-old acknowledged that his early exit followed a post referencing Zionism and featuring the image of a rat, a symbol historically associated with antisemitic caricature. Lineker apologised and removed the post, insisting that his intentions were misunderstood. “I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised,” he said. “Which I thought should have been enough.”
It wasn’t. The former England striker’s final Match of the Day appearance came on May 25. He will not front BBC coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup, roles he had been expected to retain.
Lineker maintains he had no partisan motive. “I’m not Muslim, I’m not Palestinian, I’m not Israeli, I’m not Jewish,” he said. “I come from a place of complete impartiality. And then it becomes about truth.”
Accusations of antisemitism, he says, struck him particularly hard.
“I’m not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children.”
Despite the abrupt ending to his BBC tenure, Lineker was careful not to direct blame at director-general Tim Davie, with whom he said he maintains a cordial relationship. “I know how difficult it is for him,” Lineker said, “with what’s going on.”
Davie, in a public statement at the time, described Lineker as “a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades”, acknowledging the presenter’s “mistake” but also his vast contribution to the broadcaster’s sporting identity.
Since stepping away, Lineker has scaled back his presence on social media. “Social media gave me a platform,” he said, “perhaps I wish it hadn’t. I’ve come off X completely. It’s just become horrible. Nasty.”
The former striker now channels his voice through Goalhanger Podcasts, his own production company, which has become a surprising force in UK media. The Rest Is Football, co-hosted with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, recently moved to DAZN, part of a broader shift in Lineker’s post-BBC media life. More shows, including one on science, are reportedly on the way.
The BBC declined to comment when contacted.
Get the Latest Cricket Updates at IceCric.News. Also, Follow Our Social Media for live updates on Facebook and Instagram.
