Gary Lineker’s BBC career: salary, deleted tweets and outspoken claims after Nazi tweet backlash
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GMB’s Susanna Reid and Ed Balls react to sex noise prank that targeted BBC
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Gary Lineker has divided opinion after he appeared to draw comparisons between the Tory government’s new Illegal Migration Bill and Nazi Germany.
Gary stirred a reaction as he responded to the controversial bill, which was unveiled by home secretary Suella Braverman, and called it “beyond awful” and hit out at the announcement on Twitter.
The Match of the Day star, who welcomed a second refugee into his home last year, re-shared a video of the home secretary discussing the bill and wrote: “Good heavens, this is beyond awful.”
As he received responses to his tweet, one of which saying he was “out of order”, he added in a separate post: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries.
“This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”
It was later reported the BBC planned to speak to Gary over his comments and he would be “reminded of his responsibilities on social media,” Sky News reported.
A spokesperson also added: “The BBC has social media guidance, which is published. Individuals who work for us are aware of their responsibilities relating to social media. We have appropriate internal processes in place if required.”
Gary later reacted to the response on Twitter as he quipped: “Morning all. Anything going on?”
He then added: “Great to see the freedom of speech champions out in force this morning demanding silence from those with whom they disagree.”
Meanwhile, the home secretary said she as disappointed by Gary’s comments.
Ms Braverman told BBC Breakfast: “I’m disappointed, obviously. I think it’s unhelpful to compare our measures, which are lawful, proportionate and – indeed – compassionate, to 1930s Germany. I also think that we are on the side of the British people here.”
Gary’s fans have been divided over his comments as some agreed with him. One wrote: “Nailed it, Gary x”.
Another added: “Thanks Garry. As the grandson of a refugee it means a lot when people with your high profile speak out.” [sic]
“Don’t let the BBC make you apologise because this tweet has 10,000+ likes. That might mean 10,000 of us could threaten to cancel our licence fee in protest,” a third urged.
The tweet has been liked more than 35,000 times at the time of writing – and retweeted more than 5,406 times.
But, some have called for the BBC presenter to be sacked for breaching the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality.
One said: “The BBC is supposed to be impartial. They’re clearly a mouthpiece for Labour and should not be receiving taxpayer money to promote their politics.”
Another added: “Gary Lineker is entitled to his opinions like everyone else but because of the set up of the BBC & being supposedly impartial he has to be careful what he tweets if he wants to go the political way then he will need to consider his position within the organization”.
“Ridiculous of Gary Lineker to have an opinion on an issue, rather than acting as an objective impartial BBC employee should and quietly funding the Prime Minister’s overdraft,” a third added.
However, this isn’t the first time Gary has garnered attention.
Pundit porn prank
Earlier this year, Gary discovered a phone had been hidden in the BBC studio after coverage of a FA Cup game went into disarry.
The programme was interrupted by porn sounds and Gary was left attempting to direct pre-match punditry as the sounds played.
Yet the noises kept coming at regular intervals, leaving fans up and down the country who had tuned into their televisions utterly bewildered.
A YouTuber, who boasts the account name Jarvo69 aka BMWJarvo, was then unveiled as the prankster as he went live and streamed the stunt to thousands of viewers as he explained how they had managed to tape a phone to the back of the BBC’s set ready to play the explicit audio as soon as they called it.
Match of the Day host Lineker, meanwhile, saw the funny side and took to Twitter to explain what had been causing the noises, writing: “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing.”
The BBC later offered a formal apology as a spokesperson said: “We apologise to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening. We are investigating how this happened.”
Huge BBC salary – and major cut
In September 2020, Gary took a £400,000 pay cut as host of Match of the Day for the next five years.
He also agreement to be more careful when using Twitter to push his political causes at the time.
The deal was announced at the launch of the corporation’s report at the time and emphasised how BBC staff would be bound by a strict set of new rules around social media usage.
BBC’s director general Tim Davie said at the time: “Gary knows that he has responsibilities to the BBC in terms of his use of social media”.
At the time, Gary said: “I love working with the BBC, and am very proud to continue to be a part of their outstanding football team.
“I’m looking forward to the next five years – with a European Championship and World Cup on the horizon, it’s exciting times for me and the team.”
Following the announcement, he also tweeted: “Oh dear. Thoughts are with the haters at this difficult time.”
Piers Morgan feud
Gary has been embroiled in a Twitter feud with outspoken presenter Piers Morgan for years with the pair exchanging nasty blows across social media.
Piers called out the BBC pundit on everything from his salary, ratings, politics and even his ears.
A particularly nasty row kicked off in August 2019 when Gary slammed the government’s decision to extend the suspension of parliament – two weeks before the UK was set to leave the European Union.
Piers quipped: “Says the man who has howled for 3yrs that we should ignore the result of a democratic vote…”
Gary insisted he never said the result of 2016’s EU referendum should be ignored, adding: “We could though look at the crooked, lying nature of how it was sold to us back then by the elite now dictating (literally) and decide as a democratic country if that’s still what we want.”
Piers hit back with: “Mate, it doesn’t get more elite than you…as BBC licence fee payers know to our cost.”
“Mate, it doesn’t get much more elite than ostentatiously showing off your wealth (you constantly tell me you earn way more than me) with a deluge of pictures by marauding, around the Côte d’Azur on a yacht,” Gary responded.
But Piers still wasn’t done, adding: “I don’t pretend not to be in the elite… and it’s not my fault I earn far more than you, it’s my talent.”
Piers has also nicknamed Gary “jugs”, while Lineker has called Piers “tubs” in the past.
The pair have had more online spats, but appeared to have made up in January last year with a cosy night together.
Piers shared a photo of Gary wearing an apron with Chef Gaz written on it and told his followers the Leicester-born star was making him dinner.
Captioning the pic in which the controversial host grins holding a glass of red wine he wrote: “Decided to finally get my BBC licence fee money out of Gary Lineker at his home last night.. have to say, Chef Gaz delivered a quite delicious feast including Gambas al Ajillo and Fillet steak au poivre.
“Did everything himself (for 5 of us) and it was all perfectly cooked. Then he proudly showed off his golden boots, before the shock late Leicester result came through to ruin his evening. All in all, a most enjoyable soirée – and definitely worth 43p!”