Ex-England striker Gary Lineker to leave BBC presenting role

Gary Lineker, a former England captain and the face of football on British television for over two decades, will leave the BBC, the broadcaster said in a statement on Monday.

Lineker, 64, had been due to cover the 2026 World Cup for the broadcaster, but his early departure comes after he apologised last week for sharing a social media post with "offensive references".

He rose to become the BBC's highest paid star after presenting its Match of the Day (MOTD) highlights show for 25 years. The BBC announced last November he would step down from MOTD this year but carry on working for it until 2026.

"Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season," BBC director general Tim Davie said in a statement.

Lineker repeated his apology. "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," he said.

In recent years, Linker's desire to put forward his political views on social media has caused headaches for the BBC, which has strict rules on impartiality.

He was temporarily taken off air in 2023 after he criticised the previous government's immigration policy on social media. In 2018, he opposed Brexit and called for a second referendum.

Lineker apologised "unreservedly" last week for reposting material on Instagram, saying that he deleted the posts after learning of the offensive references.

The former striker played for England for eight years until 1992 and had been a top scorer for Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1980s and early 1990s.

He is also the co-founder of a podcasting production business, Goalhanger, which makes series such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Football.