Lineker alludes to antisemitism row in TV awards acceptance speech

Former Match of the Day star, who departed BBC after sharing video about Zionism featuring a rat emoji, accepts award 'on behalf of those who have no voice’

Gary Lineker used his acceptance speech at this year’s National Television Awards to allude to the circumstances of his departure from the BBC – which took place after he shared a video with antisemitic tropes – saying “perhaps it’s OK sometimes for us to use our platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice.”

Lineker, who presented BBC’s Match of the Day for more than a quarter-century, won Best TV Presenter at the annual awards last night, all of which are voted for by the British public. The 64-year-old left his 26-year career at the BBC early following a video he shared purporting to explain Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. Lineker later apologised for sharing the video, saying he stood “against all forms of racism”.

However, the Zionism video was merely one in a line of highly controversial posts shared by the pundit, who has become a vocal backer of the Palestinian cause. These included sharing an interview with the head of the extremist Neturei Karta group, as well as one where a so-called “anti-racist campaigner” nodded approvingly as someone said that “I’m Jewish and I never thought I’d feel the amount of disgust and rage I felt at my own community over the last year and a half, but especially the last few months that amount of pathetic manipulative self-victimisation boggles my mind.”

Lineker accepted his award to rapturous applause from the audience, saying “it’s not lost on me why I might have won this award. The audience response transformed into frenetic cheering when Lineker went on to say “I think it demonstrates that perhaps it’s OK to use your platform to speak up on behalf of those who have no voice

In an interview with the New World, formerly known as The New European, Lineker claimed his departure from the BBC was a case of “quit or be quitted”, also saying “I’m not antisemitic, I’m anti the killing of children.”