Gary Lineker confirmed to leave BBC after Zionism ‘rat’ scandal
Corporation announces presenter’s final Match of the Day next weekend following outcry
The BBC has confirmed that Gary Lineker will leave the corporation at the end of this football season, following a backlash over a social media post widely condemned as antisemitic.
Lineker’s final appearance on Match of the Day will air next weekend. He will no longer front the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup of next season’s FA Cup.
The announcement follows reports on Sunday that Lineker had agreed to step down “by mutual agreement” after reposting a video about Zionism featuring an animated rat – an image long associated with antisemitic propaganda used by the Nazis.
“Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made,” said BBC Director-General Tim Davie. “Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.
“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond.”
In a statement, Lineker said he regretted the post and accepted that stepping away was the right move.
“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years,” he said. “As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.
“However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
Board of Deputies of British Jews Vice President Andrew Gilbert welcomed the decision and urged the BBC to take further action.
“It is right that the BBC and Gary Lineker have decided that the presenter will stand down from his work in light of the offence he caused by re-posting an antisemitic image,” he said. “We had called for his departure and welcome this outcome.
“This incident further underscores the importance and urgency of implementing antisemitism training for all BBC staff.”
However, senior figures inside and outside the broadcaster questioned the BBC’s handling of the departure. Danny Cohen, former BBC Director of Television, said it was “hard to understand” why the BBC’s statement made no reference to antisemitism. “Given the Nazi echoes of the content shared, it will be very hard for many in the Jewish community to see Mr Lineker present Match of the Day again this weekend,” he said, adding that “only much stronger executive leadership” could tackle the BBC’s “serious and wide-ranging problem with antisemitism”.
Leo Pearlman, co- CEO of Fulwell 73, said the decision to allow Lineker a final on-air farewell was “deeply disturbing”, arguing that if a similar slur had been directed at another minority group, the presenter would have been removed immediately.
“The BBC must begin to demonstrate that it takes antisemitism seriously,” he said. “This moment should be a catalyst for change, not yet another instance of gaslighting a community already under siege.”
One Jewish BBC staff member said: “It’s not just about the rat – the video itself contained antisemitic tropes. Yet it seems like BBC bosses have done the bare minimum of damage limitation … that feels like a betrayal.”
Former BBC entertainment controller and BAFTA Chair Jane Lush added: “No person, however popular, is bigger or more important than the BBC. I say this as the person who personally fired Angus Deayton from Have I Got News For You. When many predicted it would see the demise of the programme, 23 years later – the show is going as strongly as ever. The lesson the BBC should learn is that they cannot allow anyone – however well-known or influential – to damage their reputation in this way again.”
The post – shared with Lineker’s 12 million followers last Tuesday – sparked widespread outrage from Jewish communal figures and campaigners, who said the imagery evoked classic antisemitic tropes. Lineker initially claimed he had not noticed the rat image, before deleting the video and issuing an “unreserved apology”.
A source quoted in national media said Lineker had offered to leave at the end of the season to avoid dragging the BBC “into further controversy” and still held the organisation in “the highest esteem”.
The BBC has not yet announced who will replace him. His final Match of the Day episode is expected to air on Sunday, 25 May.
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