BBC says Lineker to return to football show, abide by guidelines

The massively well-liked sports activities presenter had sparked a disaster on the public broadcaster after tweeting about UK asylum plans.

Gary Lineker will return as presenter of the flagship BBC soccer present, Match of the Day, the broadcaster has mentioned, ending a disaster sparked by his criticism of the UK authorities’s new asylum coverage.

“Gary is a valued a part of the BBC and I understand how a lot the BBC means to Gary, and I stay up for him presenting our protection this coming weekend,” mentioned BBC director-general Tim Davie on Monday.

He added that the sports activities presenter had agreed to abide by the broadcaster’s editorial tips till a evaluation of its social media guidelines had been accomplished.

The previous England footballer was eliminated after utilizing Twitter to check the language used to launch the brand new coverage with the rhetoric of Nazi-era Germany.

Fellow presenters, pundits and commentators then refused to work over the weekend in assist, throwing the broadcaster’s sports activities protection into disarray.

Lineker tweeted on Monday: “I can’t wait to get again within the MOTD chair on Saturday.

“Nonetheless tough the previous couple of days have been, it merely doesn’t evaluate to having to flee your private home from persecution or battle to hunt refuge in a land far-off.”

Davie apologised for the disruption to the service, saying he recognised the “potential confusion attributable to the gray areas of the BBC’s social media steerage”.

“Impartiality is vital to the BBC. That may be a tough balancing act to get proper the place individuals are topic to completely different contracts and on air positions, and with completely different viewers and social media profiles,” he mentioned.

An impartial evaluation of the steerage shall be performed, together with the way it applies to freelancers corresponding to Lineker, he added.