BBC's Gary Lineker Faces Calls to Remove from FA Cup and World Cup Duties
The BBC's decision to allow Gary Lineker to present the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup in North America has come under fire after he shared a pro-Palestinian message featuring an emoji image of a rat with antisemitic connotations on social media. The message, originally posted by the Palestine Lobby account, included a video by Canadian-Palestinian lawyer Diana Buttu condemning Israel's war in Gaza. Jewish groups and BBC workers have demanded that Lineker be removed from his presenting duties, citing the broadcaster's anti-racism policy.
Key Takeaways:
- The Palestine Lobby account posted a message featuring a rat emoji image with antisemitic connotations, which was later shared by Lineker on his Instagram account with 1.2 million followers.
- The post included a video by Diana Buttu condemning Israel's war in Gaza, which was described as an "antisemitic slur" by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
- Lineker's use of the rat emoji image was deemed a contravention of the BBC's anti-racism policy by a BBC insider, who described the use of the image as "frightening".
- The Campaign Against Antisemitism has lodged a complaint with the BBC, accusing Lineker of inadvertently aligning himself with "extremists and antisemites".
- Danny Cohen, a former BBC director of television, compared the message to "1930s Nazi propaganda" and called for Lineker to be removed from his presenting duties.
- The Board of Deputies of British Jews has demanded that the BBC remove Lineker from his presenting duties, stating that the broadcaster has allowed him to behave inappropriately for too long.
Statistics:
- 1.2 million followers on Instagram account
- £1.4 million paid to Lineker in 2024
- 2026 World Cup in North America
- 14 years since Lineker's Match of the Day debut
Sources:
- BBC News (undated)
- The Times of Israel (2023)
- The Campaign Against Antisemitism (2024)
- Board of Deputies of British Jews (2024)
- BBC Spokesman (2024)