Gary Lineker doubles down on migrant comments with emphatic statement

13 March 2023 , 10:56

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Gary Lineker broke his silence on Monday morning (Image: PA)

A vindicated Gary Lineker has reiterated his support for refugees after winning his brutal impartiality battle with the BBC.

The BBC confirmed Lineker has been reinstated as Match of the Day's host - three days after forcing the popular presenter to "step back" for criticising the new Illegal Migration Bill. Lineker also questioned the government's use of language towards refugees.

Lineker's temporary axe led to a boycott by his colleagues, which caused chaos with the BBC's schedule. The BBC's director general Tim Davie has apologised for the saga and plans to complete a "review led by an independent expert" into their impartiality rules.

Lineker and the BBC released a joint statement on the matter at 10am on Monday morning. Lineker quickly followed this up by tweeting his thoughts on the matter. He published four tweets - the third of which perfectly summed up his defiant stance.

"However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away," wrote Lineker. "It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you."

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The BBC were forced to broadcast a 20-minute version of Match of the Day on Saturday - with no analysis or commentary - as a result of the boycott in solidary of Lineker. They were also left with no choice but to scrap Football Focus and Final Score altogether.

Gary Lineker has won his impartiality battle with the BBC (Getty Images)

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The boycott also significantly impacted the BBC's radio coverage, and they were unable to provide a studio presentation for Sunday's Women's Super League clash between Chelsea and Manchester United. Match of the Day 2 was also reduced to just 20 minutes.

Many fans were outraged by the BBC's decision to temporarily axe Lineker. More than 210,000 people signed a petition by The Mirror to reinstate the beloved host. Mirror Editor-in-Chief Alison Phillips said, "We were overwhelmed by the number of people who joined the call to have Gary Lineker reinstated and the strength of feeling of so many.

‘"We believe that popular strength of feeling in support of Gary Lineker sent a clear message to the BBC which had come under huge pressure from those on the right who wish to silence those with a different viewpoint to their own."

Tim Davie has apologised for the mess (Getty Images)

Many people wondered how this saga would end. Lineker's son George told The Mirror his dad would not apologise for standing up for what he believes in. This proved to be exactly the case when the BBC issued a grovelling apology on Monday morning.

Davie said, "Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this... I look forward to him [Lineker] presenting our coverage this coming weekend."

Davie insists Lineker will "abide by editorial guidelines" in future, but that has not stopped Lineker from doubling down on his stance. Lineker added, "After a surreal few days, I’m delighted that we have navigated a way through this.

"I want to thank you all for the incredible support, particularly my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game but their backing was overwhelming."

Lineker continued, "I have been presenting sport on the BBC for almost 3 decades and am immeasurably proud to work with the best and fairest broadcaster in the world. I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday.... We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you."

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Lineker also thanked Davie in a bid to reunite the BBC. He tweeted, "Also, I’d like to thank Tim Davie for his understanding during this difficult period. He has an almost impossible job keeping everybody happy, particularly in the area of impartiality. I am delighted that we’ll continue to fight the good fight, together."

Tom Blow