A former BBC boss has said presenters like Gary Lineker who are “inextricably bound up with an important BBC programme” should have to abide by impartiality rules.
12.03.2023 - 13:19 / deadline.com
An unprecedented Match of the Day without presenters, pundits or commentators was watched by 500,000 more people last night than the previous week.
An average 2.6M viewers tuned in for the somewhat-bizarre 20 minute-long highlights show that comes with the BBC mired in one of its biggest crises of the past generation. Match of the Day, which airs for most of the year, tends to average around 2M viewers. Last night’s show hit its highest audience for four months.
A peak audience of almost 3M and share of nearly a quarter (23.5%) of people watching TV at the time tuned in for last night’s Match of the Day, which aired without presenters, pundits or commentators after host Gary Lineker was stood down by the BBC due to a breach of impartiality rules.
His fellow pundits refused to join him in solidarity following the controversy surrouding a tweet comparing the government’s language around asylum policy to 1930s Germany, and multiple other BBC sports pundits and commentators refused to partake in programing yesterday.
Much of today’s programing is also expected to be disrupted and Match of the Day 2 will air without presenters.
BBC Director General Tim Davie last night apologized for the disruption to viewers but said he won’t resign. He is desperately battling to resolve the crisis.
The BBC announced the decision to pull Lineker back from the popular highlights show on Friday afternoon after “extensive discussions,” during which the sports presenter was told that his tweet comparing the language around UK government asylum policy to Nazi Germany was unacceptable.
In response, a series of pundits and commentators – starting with Match of the Day pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer – stood down in solidarity with Lineker,
A former BBC boss has said presenters like Gary Lineker who are “inextricably bound up with an important BBC programme” should have to abide by impartiality rules.
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 agreed it was "good to be back" on the BBC to present Manchester City's FA Cup tie against Burnley on Match of the Day Live after stepping back from presenting last weekend in a controversial row over broadcaster's impartiality rules. The former England and Leicester City footballer came under fire for comparing the language used by the government in their asylum plans to 'that used by Germany in the 30s' in a tweet.
Gary Lineker admitted he was 'glad to be back' on the BBC to present Manchester City''s FA Cup tie against Burnley, after controversially being told to step back from presenting Match of the Day last weekend.
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.
Gary Lineker is set to return to BBC Match of the Day this weekend following a row over impartiality.
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.
Match Of The Day went ahead on Saturday night in almost silence without a presenter, pundits and regular commentators, following the fallout over presenter Gary Lineker. Co-stars Alan Shearer and Ian Wright announced they would be boycotting the show, in solidarity with the sports broadcaster and footballing icon, late on Friday evening.
Naman Ramachandran BBC director general Tim Davie has apologized over the ongoing fracas around star soccer player turned sports pundit Gary Lineker, but will not resign. Last Tuesday, Lineker, commenting on the U.K. government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill, tweeted, describing it as an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.” Lineker is a star presenter on the BBC’s “Match of the Day” soccer program. Lineker’s tweet raised government hackles and on Friday, the BBC suspended him, saying: “The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media. When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.”
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.
Football Focus and Final Score have been axed from today's BBC schedule as presenters are continuing to pull out in solidarity with Gary Lineker. BBC Radio 5 Live Sport has also suffered as contributors refused to go on the air.
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.
Gary Lineker has revealed that it was the BBC's decision for him to step back as presenter of Match of the Day.