There’s been another development in the wearying saga of Gary Lineker, the over-salaried presenter of football on the BBC and banal takes on Twitter/ X. An email leak suggests that a draft BBC statement preparing to announce his departure from Match Of The Day is in the works, but he has laughed this off on screen and told a reporter to ‘f-off’ in the street.
I strongly suspect that not a single viewer would be lost if he departed from Match Of The Day
The leaked message, seen by the Daily Mail, purports to be from the broadcaster’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, and features a statement announcing the former England striker’s departure after 25 years presenting the iconic show. The BBC has refused to confirm or deny whether the email was genuine or not
The statement is bland enough to at least sound true, including as it does a comment from BBC director-general Tim Davie, who hails an ‘incredible’ stint and described Lineker as a ‘world class presenter’.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in