The BBC’s appointment of Chair Richard Sharp “should not stand” and the process was “fatally flawed,” according to former Director General John Birt, who threw his weight behind the corporation over the Gary Lineker scandal.
12.03.2023 - 13:51 / deadline.com
The UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has found his meeting with French premier Emmanuel Macron this weekend totally overshadowed in the British media. On Saturday evening, Sunak’s office released a statement from the PM, saying:
“Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government.”
This came after BBC chief Tim Davie’s apology to audiences during a weekend of disruption to the sports coverage schedule on both TV and radio.
Last night’s BBC flagship sports show Match of the Day was aired without any presenter, pundits, match commentary or even its legendary theme tune, and was reduced to a 20-minute highlights reel of the day’s matches.
Sunday’s sports programmes on both TV and radio are expected to similarly impacted.
The broadcaster’s director-general said in an interview – given to BBC News – that he was working hard to resolve the situation, which saw dozens of presenters, commentators and pundits stand down from broadcasting duties, and several shows having to be pulled from the schedules. They were acting in support of Gary Lineker – the host of Match of the Day – who was suspended after writing a tweet that was critical of the government’s immigration policy.
And Davie added:
“Success for me is getting Gary back on air and together we are giving to the audiences that world-class sports coverage which, as I say, I’m sorry we haven’t been able to deliver today.”
Davie denied the government pressured him into the move to suspend Lineker, adding that his main aim remained to protect the BBC’s unique selling point of impartiality across the
The BBC’s appointment of Chair Richard Sharp “should not stand” and the process was “fatally flawed,” according to former Director General John Birt, who threw his weight behind the corporation over the Gary Lineker scandal.
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.
Kate Garraway hasn't had a break since husband Derek Draper was left fighting for his life after contracting Covid back in March 2020. She had recently planned a "special" family break in Paris with Derek and her children, Billy and Darcy. Sadly, on the morning of the trip, it was apparent that Derek was too unwell to join them.
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.
Former Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards has admitted to finding it difficult to find work 24 years after leaving the popular Channel 4 soap. Jeremy first jumped onto UK screens back in 1995 as Kurt Benson, a conman and attempted murderer who was married to Terri Dwyer’s Ruth Osborne for a time .Jeremy remained in the soap until 1999, when he faked his death but has popped back up for smaller appearances in 2013 and 2020. And besides a few odd appearances in other popular UK shows, Jeremy has struggled to find acting work, which he opened up about on social media last week.
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'.
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”.
Gary Lineker. The corporation on Friday said it had “decided” the former England star would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached. The 62 year old became embroiled in a row over impartiality after using Twitter to compare the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.
An unprecedented Match of the Day without presenters, pundits or commentators was watched by 500,000 more people last night than the previous week.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken out after Gary Lineker was dropped from his role on Match of the Day. The row broke out earlier this week after the former England striker took to social media to hit out at Government plans to stop small boats making the journey to Britain.
Piers Morgan has blasted the BBC's decision to pull Gary Lineker off Match of The Day. The corporation said the presenter's criticism of the government's Migration Bill was a "breach of our guidelines". The sports pundit will now be stepping back from his presenting duties until a "clear position" on his social media use is agreed upon.
Celebrities and cultural figures including a Nobel literature laureate and comedian have voiced their thoughts on the BBC’s impartiality row involving Gary Lineker.The corporation on Friday said it had “decided” the former England star would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached.The 62 year old became embroiled in a row over impartiality after using Twitter to compare the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with 1930s Germany. Many have used the hashtags #StandWithGary, #IStandWithGaryLineker OR #IStandWithGary to voice their support for Lineker.
More than 10 of the BBC’s highest-profile sports stars have staged an unprecedented walkout over the British broadcaster’s decision to suspend Gary Lineker. Below is a list of those who have walked out, with links to tweets explaining their reasons for joining the protest.
The BBC’s Premier League output is in freefall as mutinous presenters and pundits stage a protest over the suspension of Gary Lineker.
Fatboy Slim has thrown his support behind Gary Lineker after the footballer turned pundit was asked to “step back” from his presenting duties at the BBC.Earlier this week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlined the government’s controversial plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum.Lineker responded, calling it an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”. Braverman then hit out at Lineker, saying that his comments “diminished the unspeakable tragedy” of the Holocaust.There is no huge influx.
The BBC comms department must be reeling this morning after a nightmare 48 hours which saw it firefighting battles on several fronts.
The BBC’s popular Premier League highlights show Match of the Day will air without a studio presenter or its regular roster of pundits after lead presenter Gary Lineker was asked to step back from coverage after breaking the broadcaster’s impartiality rules on Twitter.
Piers Morgan has joined a chorus of criticism against the BBC’s decision to suspend Gary Lineker after he compared British government rhetoric to Nazi Germany.