BBC Suspends Host Gary Lineker Over Immigration Comments

“When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none,” the statement said. “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.”

Soon after the BBC issued the statement, two others who host “Match of the Day” with Mr. Lineker, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, said that they would not appear on the show on Saturday.

“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow,” Mr. Wright wrote on Twitter. “Solidarity.”

Mr. Shearer wrote, “I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night.”

The BBC reported that the program would still be broadcast on Saturday, without hosts. Saturday’s “Match of the Day” will “focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry,” a BBC spokesman was quoted as saying by the BBC.

The program, which features highlights from Saturday’s Premier League games, usually draws millions of viewers, according to the BBC.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/10/world/europe/gary-lineker-tweet-match-of-the-day.html