Gary Lineker says he is "very much looking forward" to presenting BBC show Match of the Day on Saturday night amid a fierce debate over his recent Nazi comparison.
The former England striker has dominated headlines after comparing the government's proposed immigration policy to that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The popular television host often shares his views on non-football and political topics on Twitter and hit out at Suella Braverman on Wednesday.
Responding to a tweet from the Home Secretary outlining plans to stop migrants crossing the English Channel on boats which claimed the United Kingdom is "overwhelmed", Lineker wrote: "Good heavens, this is beyond awful." He added: " There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the '30s."
There has been significant backlash to Lineker's tweet, with many people viewing it as crass to compare the government's proposed policy to the abhorrent politics of the Nazis. Mark Lawrenson, his former Match of the Day colleague, branded the comments "totally wrong" but refused to call for him to be sacked, despite others doing so.
Conversely, some people have thrown their weight behind Lineker during the furore, including Piers Morgan, who is no stranger to a Twitter spat with the former Three Lions ace but put their differences to one side. Lineker, for his part, cannot get his head around the frenzy his tweet has whipped up.
With a touch of irony, he confessed it had been "an interesting couple of days" but confirmed he will still be presenting highlights coverage of Saturday's Premier League action, including Bournemouth versus Liverpool, Leicester versus Chelsea and Crystal Palace versus Manchester City.
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"Well, it's been an interesting couple of days," Lineker wrote on Twitter on Friday. "Happy that this ridiculously out of proportion story seems to be abating and very much looking forward to presenting @BBCMOTD on Saturday. Thanks again for all your incredible support. It's been overwhelming."
Lineker has stood by his tweet throughout the fierce debate it has prompted, while former Head of BBC Television News Roger Mosey said "my sympathies are on Gary's side of this argument". The fallout from Wednesday's tweet has included debates in the House of Commons and significant coverage on national news, including on the BBC.
But Lineker will be in the hot seat as planned this weekend, having presented Match of the Day since the late 1990s. Saturday's other top-flight fixtures are Leeds versus Brighton, Everton versus Brentford and Tottenham versus Nottingham Forest.
