Following fierce backlash, which included accusations of anti-Semitism, to a recent social media post which featured a rat emoji, Gary Lineker will reportedly leave the BBC sooner than planned
Gary Lineker’s 28-year tenure at the BBC is coming to an abrupt and bitter end in the wake of his controversial social media post about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The 64-year-old, who is due to step down as Match of the Day host this month, is expected to announce his full departure from the broadcaster on Monday, with BBC bosses reportedly deeming his position “untenable”.
Initially, Lineker was set to continue fronting the BBC’s coverage of next season’s FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup next summer. However, these plans appear to have now collapsed.
His relationship with the broadcaster looks irreversibly damaged following accusations of anti-Semitism against the former footballer.
The post, which Lineker quickly deleted, featured a rat emoji alongside content described as ‘anti-Zionist’. The rat imagery, widely recognised as an anti-Semitic trope, sparked a fierce backlash and reignited scrutiny over his social media conduct.
This isn’t Lineker’s first clash with the BBC over impartiality, a contractual obligation for its presenters. Previous controversies, including his 2023 suspension for comments on UK immigration policy, have strained relations, with this latest episode appearing to have pushed the BBC to breaking point.
Lineker’s imminent departure will mark the end of his long association with the company. Here, Mirror Football examines what lies ahead for the ex-England striker, as well as two near-miss opportunities that could have seen him join rival broadcasters.
Next career move
Lineker has built an impressive audio broadcasting empire over the past decade through his Goalhanger Podcasts company, which produces hit shows like The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is Football. The latter, hosted by Lineker alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, is one of the most downloaded sports podcasts in the country.
It’s no surprise, then, that Lineker has been shifting his focus toward podcasting over television presenting. In a 2023 interview with the BBC’s Amol Rajan, he revealed that his next career move “won’t be more telly,” adding, “I think I’ll step back from that now… I think I’ll probably focus more on the podcast world.”
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Lineker explained: “I don’t think you’ll see me doing much football, apart from the podcast. I’ll do the odd thing, but I don’t think you’ll see me appearing regularly on another channel.”
The Rest Is Football boasts some of the nation’s highest engagement figures, with nearly 20million listens during the Euro 2024 tournament. Meanwhile, The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is Entertainment consistently rank among the UK’s top 10 audio shows.
£50m demand
Lineker recently revealed that he ‘demanded’ a £50m pay packet after being approached by ITV. After announcing he’d be quitting Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 season back in November, offers of all shapes and sizes came flooding in.
One was from Celebrity Big Brother – a show Lineker had no interest in appearing on. But rather than simply rebuffing their advances, Lineker’s agent sent ITV a cheeky counter-offer instead.
Lineker told podcast colleagues Shearer and Richards: “Do you know last week I got requests to go on Celebrity Big Brother? My agent sent it through, and then jokingly he replied, ‘Oh, yes. Gary’s fee will be £50 million!’
“He did it completely as a joke, obviously. And they came back said, ‘Oh, that’s a little bit… that’s not within our budget.'”
Sky Sports talks
Negotiations with ITV might have been light-hearted, but Lineker’s talks with Sky Sports were very sincere. In March, the former BT Sport presenter claimed he’d been speaking to Sky for some time, but ultimately snubbed them – and a bigger salary – because of his loyalty to the BBC.
“We’ve had talks with Sky at various points, but I always wanted to stick with the BBC,” Lineker said. “I could have earned a lot more, though I know I’ve been well paid anyway, obviously.
“I’ve had offers to go elsewhere but I just loved being with the BBC, and also how it helps everything else you do. It’s not only the kudos, the audience is much bigger. More people still watch Match of the Day than probably the biggest live game on Sundays.
“Also, I’m quite loyal. I’ve had the same guy cut my hair for 40 years, the same guy training me in the gym for 30 years, the same agent since I was 18.”
Cooking show
When one thinks of Gary Lineker and food – crisps typically come to mind. However, that association might have shifted had the longstanding Walkers ambassador accepted offers to launch his own cooking show.
In an interview with The Times, Lineker, who describes himself “a pretty good” cook, explained that he’d been pitched several ideas for a cooking programme. But despite his culinary confidence, he declined the offers, opting to focus on other ventures.
“I’ve been offered to do cookery programmes, but I don’t want to, because while I’m a very keen cook and I think I’m a good cook, I’m not Gordon f***ing Ramsay,” he said.
“I enjoy cooking, but I didn’t see myself doing that on screen,” he admitted. “I’d like to tell you I’m a very good cook. I’m pretty good. I’ve been doing it for 10 years now, and I’m obsessive. So if I do something and I realise I’m reasonably good at it, I’ll throw my heart and soul at it.”
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