{"id":31002,"date":"2023-03-10T18:48:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-10T17:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1799131"},"modified":"2023-03-11T00:45:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-10T23:45:20","slug":"gary-lineker-to-step-back-from-hosting-match-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/gary-lineker-to-step-back-from-hosting-match-of-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Lineker to step back from hosting Match of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BBC has said that Lineker will not return to the show “until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media”. <\/p>

By Morgan Jeffery\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 10 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Gary Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day, with the BBC considering his \u201crecent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the broadcaster announced that Lineker would not return as host\u00a0until an agreement is reached on his social media use.<\/p>\n

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In a since-deleted tweet, the former England international footballer said that the language used by Home Secretary Suella Braverman in outlining plans to detain and remove migrants illegally entering the UK on small boats was \u201cnot dissimilar to that used by Germany in the \u201930s\u201d.<\/p>\n

The BBC<\/a>, which has strict impartiality guidelines, had previously said that it would be having a \u201cfrank conversation\u201d with Lineker<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The broadcaster has now said that following \u201cextensive discussions with Gary and team in recent days\u201d, \u201che will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we\u2019ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It continued: \u201cWhen it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can\u2019t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.\u201d<\/p>