Gary Lineker: What did the Match of the Day host post on social media? Why is he leaving the BBC?

Veteran broadcaster Gary Lineker is leaving the BBC after a social media post sparked a petition from anti-Semitism campaigners.

The highest paid presenter at the organisation, Lineker will now leave the role after hosting one final Match of the Day programme on Sunday, the BBC has confirmed. Last year, he had unveiled plans to leave the show - remaining at the broadcaster for tournaments such as the FA and World Cups. However, he will now leave the corporation earlier than planned.

Outgoing Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker is expected to announce his departure from the BBC earlier than previously thought | Getty Images

Lineker will no longer present coverage of next year’s World Cup for the BBC.

Last month, he suggested there was pressure on him to leave as his latest contract was negotiated, saying: "Well, perhaps they want me to leave. There was the sense of that."

What did Gary Lineker say?

Sports broadcaster and former footballer Lineker used a rat emoji in relation to a comment about “Zionists” - people who believe in and support the idea of a Jewish national homeland. Jews were frequently depicted as rats by the Nazis.

He was forced to apologise after the incident, claiming he had “not noticed” the emoji on the original post.

Lineker's agent said: "Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed."

What was the reaction in the Jewish community?

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said Lineker’s “continued association” with the BBC was “untenable” and called for him to be removed.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews added: "He has caused great offence with this video – particularly with his egregious use of a rat emoji to illustrate Zionists."

Presenter Gary Lineker. | PA

Is this the first time he has been accused of anti-Semitism?

No. The Campaign Against Antisemitism has complained about a number of alleged incidents in which they say Lineker has supported anti-Semitic sentiments through his own or shared social media posts.

When asked, Lineker said he did not think it was a problem the 13-year-old narrator of Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, a BBC documentary about life in the Palestinian territory, was the son of a Hamas official. Lineker also shared a social media post that called for Israel to be suspended from international sports, which he later deleted.

Other allegations include him referring to the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, when more than 1,000 people were killed and 250 taken hostage, as “The Hamas Thing”.

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What else has he said about the situation in Gaza?

Last month, Lineker spoke to BBC presenter Amol Rajan about his views on the Middle East.

He said: "I know where I stand on this ... what's going on there [Gaza], the mass murder of thousands of children, is probably something we should have a little opinion on."

Israel invaded Gaza 18 months ago, following the attack by Hamas. More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict.

Has Gary Lineker been in trouble over social media posts before?

Yes. In March 2023, he was temporarily suspended from the BBC after a row over a post in which he said language used to promote a UK government asylum policy was "not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the ‘30s".

The issue resulted in a change to the BBC’s policy on the impartiality of hosts.

The new guidance said presenters of flagship programmes outside news and current affairs have "a particular responsibility to respect the BBC's impartiality, because of their profile on the BBC".