Gary Lineker has shared new comments about his suspension from the BBC and subsequent departure, admitting that he could have ‘shut up’ to lead a ‘quiet and easy life’.
In May 2025, the former professional footballer announced that he had parted ways with the broadcaster following allegations of sharing an antisemitic post on social media.
The pundit and presenter sparked controversy when he shared a video from the group Palestine Lobby about Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which featured an illustration of a rat, a historically antisemitic symbol used to target Jewish people.
When he revealed his exit from the BBC, Lineker issued an apology, stating: ‘I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for. 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.’
On Tuesday, the 65-year-old spoke at the Edinburgh TV Festival in a talk attended by Metro, where he opened up about his career, including leaving the BBC, where he presented Match of the Day from 1999 until 2025.
Adam Hawkins, the director of documentary series at Netflix and advisory chair for the festival, brought up Lineker’s suspension and exit from the BBC, asking why he feels the need to get involved with politics publicly.
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‘I don’t think it’s politics, really. I’m interested in politics, I’m not interested in being in politics. I don’t think I speak much about politics, although politics is involved in everything that I speak about,’ the former Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City football player answered.
‘I think ultimately you need to live with yourself. If I see things that upset me in humanitarian terms, then I find it quite upsetting, and it triggers me to use a platform that I would never have had before. People can disagree and they do and that’s absolutely fine.’
Lineker outlined how the impartiality rules at the BBC changed, saying that, having worked with the broadcaster for two decades, ‘there was never a question of impartiality applying to those that were outside the news and current affairs. It only applied to news and current affairs people’.
He continued: ‘For the first few years of Twitter, I posted about whether it’s refugees or some kind of humanitarian issues around the world, and then I think it was around 2019, something like that, the BBC moves the goalposts, and they said, from now on, it applies to everyone.’
Lineker referenced when then-director-general Tim Davie altered the impartiality rules at the BBC in October 2020.
In an update published by the broadcaster online, it stated: ‘The new social media guidance applies to everyone working at the BBC whether they are using social media professionally or personally, with clear steps to follow to maintain standards and integrity.’
It also said: ‘If your work requires you to maintain your impartiality, don’t express a personal opinion on matters of public policy, politics, or “controversial subjects”.’
Lineker told Hawkins that he recalled speaking to the director-general, telling him that he wasn’t planning on changing how he conducted himself online.
‘I still want to speak up if I want. I said I’ll always be cautious, and it’ll be about humanitarian issues. I carried on, and obviously that was, you know… if I wanted a quiet and easy life, I could have just shut up, but I’m an idiot,’ he shared.
Hawkins compared Lineker’s approach to social media to his behaviour as a footballer, recollecting how he was famously ‘well behaved’ on the pitch, before remarking that he’s more ‘hot headed’ online, an assessment that the interviewee disagreed with.
‘I don’t think so. I don’t think I’m ever hot-headed. You won’t see me being abusive to anyone on social media,’ he affirmed, explaining that he usually posts now on his Instagram Story, but tends to avoid X as it’s become a ‘hateful, spiteful place’.
This summer, Lineker made a surprise cameo during ITV’s coverage of the World Cup, which included making a subtle swipe at the BBC when he complimented the rival broadcaster’s studio.