The corporation is facing mounting pressure to sack the Match of the Day presenter – who has apologised “unreservedly” – after he posted an image considered to be an antisemitic slur.
Lineker came under fire after he shared, then deleted, a post on his Instagram account from the group, Palestine Lobby, which was illustrated with a picture of a rat and titled: “Zionism explained in two minutes.”
square MEDIA AnalysisWhy the BBC won't fire Lineker despite his most controversial Instagram post yet
Read More
Lineker’s agent said the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image’s symbolism, which he had previously not appreciated.
“I very much regret these references.
He added: “I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.
Earlier BBC boss Tim Davie expressed frustration with Lineker’s latest controversial intervention, which overshadowed a major speech on trust and impartiality delivered by the Director-General in Salford.
“And I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that.”
One BBC staffer told The i Paper: “The use of the rat emoji referring to Zionists (ie Jews) by a high-profile colleague is frightening.
Another staffer asked why the BBC had given Lineker more freedom to share his views after he was temporarily taken off air in 2023 over his criticisms of the Tory Government’s immigration policy.
“So it’s no wonder then that he can now invoke a 1930s Nazi Germany trope with complete impunity.”
‘He must go’
The charity Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be submitting a complaint to the BBC over the presenter’s latest post.
They added: “We will be submitting a complaint to the BBC over this latest post. Having looked the other way until now, at this point, it is clear that Mr Lineker’s continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go.”
The BBC declined to comment on whether Lineker had contravened its anti-racism policies or would face any investigation. A spokesperson pointed to Davie’s comments in Salford.
A spokesperson for Lineker said: “Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not notice a rodent emoticon added by the author of the post. Although if he had, he would not have made any connection. The repost has been removed.”
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Staff blame BBC for ‘enabling Lineker’ as anger over Zionism post grows )
Also on site :