BBC Appoints Former ITN Chief John Hardie to Conduct Social Media Guidance Review After Gary Lineker Controversy

Coronation Street star Alex Bain has announced he's stepping away from social media after calling off his engagement. The 21 year old actor, who has played Simon Barlow on the cobbles for the last 15 years, reportedly split from his fiancée Mollie Lockwood, 19, just six months after announcing their happy news. The pair had been dating for three years, with Alex popping the question on their two-year anniversary.

Gary Lineker has said he still believes his tweet about the Government’s “cruel” asylum policy was “factually accurate”.The Match Of The Day star, 62, told Alastair Campbell during an interview for Men’s Health UK magazine that he stood by his comments, despite the drama it's caused.The BBC has launched an independent review of its social media guidance for freelancers following an impartiality row prompted by Gary's tweets. Gary was taken off air by the broadcaster after posting a tweet in which he said the language used by the Government to promote its asylum plans, in his opinion, sounded similar to 1930s Germany.

The BBC has launched its review into social media guidance in the wake of the Gary Lineker scandal, with former ITN CEO John Hardie set to oversee it.

Gary Lineker will return to our TV screens later following a row which left the BBC's sport coverage in disarray. The former England international had to 'step back' from off his Match of the Day presenting duties after taking to social media to hit out at Government plans to stop small boats making the journey to Britain.

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Gary Lineker’s son has spoken out after facing relentless abuse on Twitter following his father’s public fallout with BBC over small boat tweets. George Lineker shared a screenshot of someone telling him he should be “burned at the stake” for supporting his dad when the Match of the Day (MOTD) presenter was briefly suspended from the BBC. Commenting on the abuse, George wrote: “Social media’s mad isn’t it.

UPDATE: BBC employees will stage their biggest strike in 13 years on Wednesday after eleventh-hour talks with management failed. The walkout will force coverage of the UK government’s Budget off air and heap more embarrassment on Director-General Tim Davie, who has apologized for scheduling chaos over the Gary Lineker saga.

“Ambiguity” around social media guidelines was to blame for the BBC Gary Lineker scandal, according to Ofcom boss Melanie Dawes, who was challenged on the “creeping politicization” of UK TV news during a committee hearing this morning.

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC has scrambled to avoid further disruption to its schedules after a walkout over Gary Lineker’s suspension canceled Premier League output.

will return to his Match of the Day presenting duties after the BBC apologised for suspending him in an impartiality row that has rocked the corporation. Lineker got to keep his job but made no apology for his tweet comparing the language used to launch a small boats asylum policy with that used in 1930s Germany – and tweeted again about the plight of refugees within minutes of being reinstated.

England footballing legend John Barnes says the conversation around the Home Office's controversial illegal migrant policy is being "side-tracked" by the Gary Lineker and BBC row. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the former Liverpool player said headlines over the weekend could result in the message that Lineker was trying to get across, and the reason he spoke out in the first place, being 'lost'.

This Morning viewers were hilariously left baffled by Mike Tindall and James Haskell's appearance on the show as they were put on the spot by Phillip Schofield. The former rugby stars appeared live on the ITV daytime show to chat with the presenter and his co-host Holly Willoughby about their upcoming podcast tour.

Match Of The Day after reaching an agreement with the BBC.The broadcaster announced that the presenter will return to host the show this Saturday (March 18), with the corporation set to conduct a review into its social media guidance for freelancers outside news and current affairs.It comes after Lineker was taken off air for criticising the government’s proposed immigration policy. Following Lineker’s removal, his fellow pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright boycotted the show last weekend in solidarity.Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences.

Gary Lineker is set to return to BBC Match of the Day this weekend following a row over impartiality.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Football commentator Gary Lineker is set to return to hosting duties on the BBC this weekend after being pulled off air due to comments about the U.K.’s refugee policy that were deemed to have breached the broadcaster’s impartiality policy. In a statement on Monday morning, the BBC revealed that it will conduct a review of its social media guidance “with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside news and current affairs,” which is the category for star talent such as Lineker. The “Match of the Day” host said in a comment: “I am glad that we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”

The BBC has reached a deal with Match of the Day host Gary Lineker over his social media use following crisis talks.

Emily in Paris actor Lucien Laviscount didn't hold back on the Oscars carpet as he made his feelings about the Conservative government clear amid the ongoing Twitter row with Gary Lineker. The 30 year old actor shouted "f**k the Tories" and appeared to make a rude hand gesture when approached by GMB's North American correspondent Noel Phillips for his opinion on the matter.

Gary Lineker will reportedly return to the BBC next weekend to cover the FA cup.

Self Esteem showed her support for Gary Lineker last night (March 11) by wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Free Gary” at her Eventim Apollo show in London.The singer-songwriter – real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor – shared on Twitter an image of herself sporting the tee at the show, writing “Solidarity” and tagging the BBC Sport presenter.She has followed in the footsteps of Fatboy Slim, who on Friday (March 10) displayed Lineker’s face on a video screen behind him. The move was met by huge cheers from fans who were watching the DJ perform in Manchester.It comes amid a row between the BBC and Lineker after the latter on Tuesday (March 7) called the government’s controversial plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum an “immeasurably cruel”.

The BBC has recently descended into chaos after Gary Lineker was forced to step back from hosting Match of the Day following a row over impartiality. The footballer-turned-pundit, 62, was accused of breaching the BBC's impartiality rules after he posted a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with that of 1930s Germany.