The ex-England international discussed departing the BBC and stuck the boot into his former employers
Former Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has taken aim at the BBC over their World Cup coverage this summer. The ex-England striker revealed he’ll be fronting this year’s tournament live from the USA, whilst the broadcaster will have to settle for its base in Salford.
Lineker had intended to remain with the broadcaster to front the competition for them, despite departing his role as host of the beloved highlights programme in May 2025.
However, he left the BBC sooner than anticipated. This came after a controversy where he posted on social media about Zionism that featured a rat emoji, which was deemed an anti-Semitic slur.
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The former England player issued an apology for the post and departed with immediate effect. In an ironic turn of events, Lineker will be stationed in North America for the tournament this summer as his podcast, The Rest Is Football, has landed a daily show deal with Netflix to be filmed in New York City.
Speaking to James O’Brien on the LBC podcast Full Disclosure in late February, the ex-Leicester striker made certain to have a dig at his former employers whilst discussing his departure.
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He said: “I was already doing the [podcast] anyway and then other offers started to come in reasonably quickly and, again, because people recognised it was a genuine error [his social media post].
“The truth is now, in hindsight, and I never would’ve wished this, but things have transpired. I’ve had Saturdays off, I’m going to do the World Cup for Netflix, in New York, whilst the BBC are doing the World Cup in Salford but things have turned out alright.”
Following his exit from Match of the Day, Lineker has remained occupied with his podcast, which he presents alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. He has also taken part in the Ballers League.
Goalhanger, the podcast firm Lineker co-established and which produces other major brands such as The Rest Is Politics, recently secured an agreement with Netflix to transform its football edition into a daily television programme on the platform during this summer’s World Cup, held across North and Central America.
The former Barcelona player is also fronting a new game show, The Box, which arrives on ITV later this year. Discussing his new position as presenter, he told O’Brien: “I’ve got a new series… a reality show, actually, which I’m hosting. I’ve always been asked to go on reality shows and I’ve always said not until Ant & Dec retire or Claudia gives up.
“It’s called The Box and it’s a lot of fun. It’s genuinely something completely different to what I’ve done before. I liked the look of this idea. I think it’s really clever. It’s light-hearted and a lot of fun.”
Apologising for the post that led to his departure from the BBC in May last year, Lineker asserted he did not see the image and “would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic”.
He added: “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
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