Quote · The Louis Theroux Podcast
S8 EP1: Gary Lineker on England’s losing streak, leaving the BBC, and his frosty relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo
Where this was said
The 2023 BBC Suspension: Impartiality, Ian Wright and the Apology Showdown
At 57:10 · chapter starts 54:30
This is where the episode turns to its most contested territory. Lineker is clear he found his 2023 tweet — describing government immigration language as 'not dissimilar to that used in Germany in the 1930s' — to be factually accurate and humanitarian rather than politically partisan. When the BBC demanded an apology, he refused. He found out about his suspension not from management but via social media while having lunch. He explains that the BBC had expanded its impartiality guidelines around 2019 to cover all talent, not just news and current affairs staff, and that this was not embedded in his contract. Ian Wright immediately announced he wouldn't present the show, followed by Shearer, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas — none of them asked by Lineker to do so. He describes the moment Wright said 'if they do that, I'm not doing it' as a 'real wow moment.' The BBC's eventual apology, he notes, confirmed the suspension was an overreaction. [1] — Gary Lineker "When the BBC suspended Lineker over a tweet comparing immigration language to 1930s Germany, he refused to apologise, Ian Wright and Alan S…" 54:30
When the BBC suspended Lineker over a tweet comparing immigration language to 1930s Germany, he refused to apologise, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer immediately boycotted the show in solidarity, and the BBC ultimately ended up apologising. Lineker found out about his suspension via social media.
The BBC changed its social media impartiality guidelines around 2019 to apply to all talent, not just news and current affairs staff.
Lineker shared an Instagram story from a group called Palestine Lobby that contained a rat emoji — an antisemitic trope from Nazi Germany — which he genuinely hadn't noticed. Unlike the tweet, he apologised for this one without hesitation, calling it his mistake. The 26-year Match of the Day era ended shortly after.
