Gary Lineker. Al/Reuters/Panoramic
Dismissed last Friday by the BBC after criticizing the policy of the British government, Gary Lineker is finally back.
The BBC announced on Monday the return to the air of ex-England international Gary Lineker, one of the group’s most famous presenters, whose suspension on Friday after a tweet against the government caused an outcry. He had denounceda cruel policy aimed at the most vulnerable, in a language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s“. These remarks were strongly criticized by the government and the conservative newspapers.
His suspension caused quite a stir and caused upheaval in BBC sports programming on television and radio last weekend. Several football broadcast consultants, such as former England internationals Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, have decided to step down from their programs out of ‘solidarity’. The #BoycottBBC hashtag has even trended on Twitter.
“Gary is an important part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to him, and I look forward to him presenting our show next weekend. Everyone recognizes that this has been a difficult time for staff, collaborators, presenters and, above all, our viewers.BBC Director-General Tim Davie said in a statement.
On Twitter, where he is followed by nearly 9 million people, Lineker thanked the people who supported him during “those surreal days“. “I have presented sport on the BBC for almost thirty years and I am extremely proud to work with the best and fairest media in the world”he added.
Nicknamed “Mr Nicefor his irreproachable behavior throughout his career, the former Leicester player is used to expressing his political positions on social networks, in particular against Brexit and pro-migrants. The new bill, which according to the government aims to put an end to the illegal arrival of migrants through the English Channel, has been criticized by human rights associations and by the UN, which has accused London of wanting to “end to the right of asylum”.
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