ROBERT HARDMAN: Now that the gag has been removed from Gary Lineker's mouth, he'll be able to let us know what he really thinks. Shame it will be so predictable...
Daily MailWhatever your opinion on Gary Lineker – and he has done his best, over the years, to ensure that most of us have one – there is no question that his impending departure from the BBC represents a broadcasting landmark. ‘History will look back very favourably on these people,’ he declared solemnly in 2022, giving the Lineker blessing to the Just Stop Oil mob who had invaded the track during the British Grand Prix. This, though, was a detail lost on licence payers who would read, year after year, that Lineker was the highest-paid BBC ‘talent’, taking home upwards of £1.7 million for his Saturday night analysis of that day’s football action. After the Prime Minister and senior ministers complained about Lineker’s own choice of language, the BBC announced that he would ‘step back’ from that weekend’s Match of the Day while the management examined its guidelines. Eventually, the BBC announced a fudge whereby presenters of ‘flagship’ shows like Lineker’s could not endorse or attack politicians or their parties while their programme was ongoing.
History of this topic
Gary Lineker’s history of political tweets during time as top-earning presenter
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