Lineker off MOTD because of “migrant” tweet; co-presenters join him. What will the show look like?
Empty chairs: is this how Match of the Day will look tomorrow?
The BBC has dug a hole for itself after dropping Gary Lineker from its flagship football show, Match of the Day, over his tweet linking government rhetoric on Channel migrants with that of Germany in the 1930s.
Mr Lineker will not be presenting Match of the Day this week – but the reason is not clear. The BBC is saying he’s “stepping back” until an agreement is reached on how he should use the social media – but Sky News reckons he has been forced off the programme for refusing to apologise.
Now, fellow presenters are lining up to refuse to take part. So far, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright have said they will not appear, in “solidarity” with Mr Lineker.
Jermaine Jenas has said if he were asked, he would say no.
Is Saturday’s edition of the show going to be a shot of empty chairs around a desk, with some football clips interspersed intermittently?
Elsewhere in the BBC, Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley made himself both a hero and a villain in the eyes of the public when he talked about the row surrounding Mr Lineker’s Twitter comments on the BBC’s Question Time.
First, he stood by Mr Lineker’s right to say anything he wants on his personal Twitter account – to applause from the audience.
Then he said what had actually been declared on Twitter was “preposterous” – and received a less enthusiastic reaction.
See for yourself:
What do you think? Should Gary Lineker have his right to free speech curtailed, simply because he presents a programme that is not remotely related to the subject he was discussing?
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Perhaps they could let Lineker present it anyway and over-dub his voice in the childish way that under Thatcher, Gerry Adams was dubbed and censored for fear he would influence people.
Remember when they wouldn’t show all of Ireland’s weather on the map?
That’s how pathetic, petty and childish right wing Governments and Ministers are !
But serious question, if Lineker had praised the “Small Boats” policy, would the BBC have suspended him? – any BBC Presenters up for the challenge?
There are many corporations in the UK that fire their employees for not agreeing to their paymasters point of view, the funny thing about the BBC though is that the public are forced to be their paymasters and have no say in how they do things.
Gary Lineker committed the ‘heretical crime’ of publicly critiquing fascist tories’ latest xenophobic and illegal policies! Lineker forgets (sic) that the puppet BBC boys are owned and controlled by the fascist tories so therefore everyone working at the fascist BBC must constantly praise the fascist tories!
Any dissent from BBC consultants; employees will result in instant demonisation!! But remember little england is supposedly not a fascist state and the fascist puppet BBC are supposedly impartial and not puppets of any political party with exception of fascist tories who believe everyone must constantly praise this cruel and corrupt rotten bunch of dictators!
And there is this:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/mar/10/david-attenborough-bbc-wild-isles-episode-rightwing-backlash-fears
Just remember that this programme will not be shown in Russia!
On the BBC website from 2018 :
A spokesman for the BBC said: “Gary is not involved in any news or political output for the BBC and as such any expression of his personal political views does not affect BBC impartiality.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44957901
What’s changed? The increased Tory stranglehold on the BBC, is my guess.
On the BBC website from 2018 :
A spokesman for the BBC said: “Gary is not involved in any news or political output for the BBC and as such any expression of his personal political views does not affect BBC impartiality.”
This was in a politics item on 26 July 2018 headed “Gary Lineker backs Brexit referendum campaign”
Nothing has changed except the increased Tory stranglehold on the BBC!