Gary Lineker suggests he will avoid BBC suspension over political tweet

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC failed to fully heed advice in 2020 that could have helped the broadcaster avoid a weekend of carnage over a single tweet from Gary Lineker, its highest-paid presenter.

England footballing legend John Barnes says the conversation around the Home Office's controversial illegal migrant policy is being "side-tracked" by the Gary Lineker and BBC row. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the former Liverpool player said headlines over the weekend could result in the message that Lineker was trying to get across, and the reason he spoke out in the first place, being 'lost'.

Susanna Reid looked remarkably different in a throwback snap on Monday's Good Morning Britain show, showing the presenter when she was younger and perched on the iconic red BBC couch.

Fiona Bruce is stepping back from her role as a Refuge charity ambassador following claims she trivialised domestic violence on Thursday's edition of BBC's Question Time (March 9).

Tributes have poured in for a beloved member of the Hyde community described as kind hearted, selfless and always on the look out for others.

This Morning viewers were hilariously left baffled by Mike Tindall and James Haskell's appearance on the show as they were put on the spot by Phillip Schofield. The former rugby stars appeared live on the ITV daytime show to chat with the presenter and his co-host Holly Willoughby about their upcoming podcast tour.

The BBC’s Question Time host has stepped down from her role with a leading domestic violence charity after being criticized for defending Boris Johnson’s father from accusations that he is a “wife beater.”

Lucien Laviscount was not holding back on expressing his feelings for the Conservative government as he walked the red carpet at The Oscars over the weekend.

Match Of The Day after reaching an agreement with the BBC.The broadcaster announced that the presenter will return to host the show this Saturday (March 18), with the corporation set to conduct a review into its social media guidance for freelancers outside news and current affairs.It comes after Lineker was taken off air for criticising the government’s proposed immigration policy. Following Lineker’s removal, his fellow pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright boycotted the show last weekend in solidarity.Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences.

Gary Lineker will be returning to the BBC after it was announced the host would "step back" from hosting the weekly football highlights programme, Match of the Day. BBC Director-General Tim Davie has apologised after Gary, 62, was told to step back from presenting Match Of The Day in a row over impartiality and said he will return to hosting coverage this weekend.

Gary Lineker is set to return to BBC Match of the Day this weekend following a row over impartiality.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Football commentator Gary Lineker is set to return to hosting duties on the BBC this weekend after being pulled off air due to comments about the U.K.’s refugee policy that were deemed to have breached the broadcaster’s impartiality policy. In a statement on Monday morning, the BBC revealed that it will conduct a review of its social media guidance “with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside news and current affairs,” which is the category for star talent such as Lineker. The “Match of the Day” host said in a comment: “I am glad that we have found a way forward. I support this review and look forward to getting back on air.”

The BBC has reached a deal with Match of the Day host Gary Lineker over his social media use following crisis talks.

Emily in Paris actor Lucien Laviscount didn't hold back on the Oscars carpet as he made his feelings about the Conservative government clear amid the ongoing Twitter row with Gary Lineker. The 30 year old actor shouted "f**k the Tories" and appeared to make a rude hand gesture when approached by GMB's North American correspondent Noel Phillips for his opinion on the matter.

Gary Lineker will reportedly return to the BBC next weekend to cover the FA cup.

Gary Lineker looks in line for a return to BBC TV as talks with the company over his suspension are "inching closer" to an agreement.

Self Esteem showed her support for Gary Lineker last night (March 11) by wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Free Gary” at her Eventim Apollo show in London.The singer-songwriter – real name is Rebecca Lucy Taylor – shared on Twitter an image of herself sporting the tee at the show, writing “Solidarity” and tagging the BBC Sport presenter.She has followed in the footsteps of Fatboy Slim, who on Friday (March 10) displayed Lineker’s face on a video screen behind him. The move was met by huge cheers from fans who were watching the DJ perform in Manchester.It comes amid a row between the BBC and Lineker after the latter on Tuesday (March 7) called the government’s controversial plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum an “immeasurably cruel”.

Gary Lineker. The corporation on Friday said it had “decided” the former England star would take a break from presenting the highlights programme until an “agreed and clear position” on his use of social media had been reached. The 62 year old became embroiled in a row over impartiality after using Twitter to compare the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

The UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has found his meeting with French premier Emmanuel Macron this weekend totally overshadowed in the British media. On Saturday evening, Sunak’s office released a statement from the PM, saying: 

The BBC has recently descended into chaos after Gary Lineker was forced to step back from hosting Match of the Day following a row over impartiality. The footballer-turned-pundit, 62, was accused of breaching the BBC's impartiality rules after he posted a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with that of 1930s Germany.

An unprecedented Match of the Day without presenters, pundits or commentators was watched by 500,000 more people last night than the previous week.

Chris Sutton hopes the BBC find a resolution to the “messy” situation after the Match of the Day mutiny that also had an impact on his 606 radio phone-in alongside Robbie Savage.

One of the main talking points in the world of football this weekend was the news that Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker had been stood down from his duties for the BBC for tweeting his opinion of a controversial government policy.

Match Of The Day went ahead on Saturday night in almost silence without a presenter, pundits and regular commentators, following the fallout over presenter Gary Lineker. Co-stars Alan Shearer and Ian Wright announced they would be boycotting the show, in solidarity with the sports broadcaster and footballing icon, late on Friday evening.

Naman Ramachandran BBC director general Tim Davie has apologized over the ongoing fracas around star soccer player turned sports pundit Gary Lineker, but will not resign. Last Tuesday, Lineker, commenting on the U.K. government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill, tweeted, describing it as an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.” Lineker is a star presenter on the BBC’s “Match of the Day” soccer program. Lineker’s tweet raised government hackles and on Friday, the BBC suspended him, saying: “The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days.  We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting ‘Match of the Day’ until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media. When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.  We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.”

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism offences after a woman was stabbed outside a leisure centre. The woman was seriously hurt following the incident in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on Thursday night.

Security patrols have returned to the Lancashire village where Nicola Bulley vanished as locals have pleaded with social media ghouls to stay away. The 45-year-old mum went missing in January and was sadly found dead three weeks later.

Tributes have been paid to a devoted campaigner who did 'so much' for Manchester United fans following his sudden death. Ian Stirling had been a match going Red since the 1970s and joined the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) in 2004.

BBC Director General Tim Davie has apologized to audiences for the disruption caused to the organization’s sports programming but said he won’t resign following the unprecedented talent walkout over the Gary Lineker row.

An emergency communication tool dubbed the 'armageddon alert' system will reportedly be rolled out in the next few weeks. Millions of people will hear a loud alarm from their mobile phones as the system is tested, the Mirror reports.

Jeremy Clarkson has had his say on the Match of The Day drama as the BBC forced Gary Linker off air from the show this weekend.

Lord Sugar has had his say on the Gary Lineker row after his name was mentioned by his ex-pal Piers Morgan and other stars to highlight the BBC's alleged hypocrisy.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken out after Gary Lineker was dropped from his role on Match of the Day. The row broke out earlier this week after the former England striker took to social media to hit out at Government plans to stop small boats making the journey to Britain.

READ MORE: BBC’s Lineker MOTD crisis live as stars mutiny in support and show to air with no presenterWayne added: "I'm gonna go with 'no comment on this one guys. "One angry fan wrote: "Ah Wayne, thought you were better than this. Be grateful you live comfortably and will never have to make a journey like this.

Piers Morgan has blasted the BBC's decision to pull Gary Lineker off Match of The Day. The corporation said the presenter's criticism of the government's Migration Bill was a "breach of our guidelines". The sports pundit will now be stepping back from his presenting duties until a "clear position" on his social media use is agreed upon.

The BBC has apologised after it was forced to pull several sports programmes following a boycott by presenters and pundits in support of Gary Lineker.The broadcaster said it would air only “limited sport programming” over the weekend and was “working hard to resolve the situation”. It comes after Lineker was told to step back from hosting the Saturday edition of the football highlights programme in a row over impartiality.