Gary Lineker is reported to have broken down and cried after learning many of his co-presenters on Match of the Day publicly lent him their support by walking out on the show after BBC bosses took him off air.
Ian Wright and Alan Shearer announced their “solidarity” with 62-year-old Lineker by stating they would not be taking part in tonight's highlights programme. It came after Lineker had posted on social media that he thought the Government’s language relating to the cross-Channel migrants issue was redolent of that used in 1930s Germany.
Footballers are reportedly planning to refuse interviews to the BBC over the row. And commentators have also "decided to step down" from Saturday's programme, in a show of support for the host.
The show's main Gary was reportedly left in tears when informed that his colleagues on the show were standing by him. One source told The Sun: “This has been a tumultuous 24 hours. Gary is in shock and had no idea this was coming. He wanted to go on air, make no bones about it, this was not his decision.
"Privately, everyone at the Beeb is in meltdown too. They genuinely don’t know how they will get a show out because no one wants to touch it. Everyone in the industry is appalled at how Gary has been hung out to dry, and the general BBC inconsistency.
“The support has been overwhelming which, essentially, is a massive pie in the face for the BBC. Gary wasn’t willing to pretend to support something he vehemently doesn’t agree with. He doesn’t need the cash and, frankly, it seems hard to imagine a way back for either party from here.”
The BBC was reportedly thrown into disarray as their efforts to replace the panel for the show were met with refusals from other footballing stars and pundits.
The action taken by Lineker's colleagues followed a meeting with executives at the BBC, to which Lineker had been summoned. According to The Sun, he was ordered to issue a “humiliating apology” by the executives or face being taken off the show.
Initially, the BBC had suggested that Lineker would be spoken to, with no further action being taken. However, that sparked a furious backlash from Conservative MPs, who cited breaches of BBC impartiality rules. The BBC then issued a statement saying that Lineker had "stepped back" from presenting Match of the Day.
There then followed a mutiny of sorts, with pundit Ian Wright declaring: “Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.” Fellow pundit Alan Shearer followed shortly afterwards, stating: “I have informed the BBC I wont be appearing on MoTD.”
Football Focus host and former England star Alex Scott also appeared to rule herself out, with a meme that read: “Nah, not me”. Others joining the support of Lineker included Mark Chapman, Jermaine Jenas and Micah Richards.
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Piers Morgan joined in the row, calling the BBC's decision "ridiculous". He said: "If the BBC really believes its presenters shouldn’t have political opinions then I look forward to them suspending David Attenborough and Alan Sugar and everyone else who has presented BBC shows but makes public their opinions.”
Earlier the BBC had said: “We consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting MoTD until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.
“We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on political issues or political controversies.”
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