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13th March 2023
11:50am GMT
Gary Lineker made a defiant statement in regards to small boat Channel crossings as the BBC confirmed he would be returning to Match of the Day this weekend.
On Monday, the BBC announced Lineker would be back for the broadcaster's coverage of the FA Cup this weekend, with General Director Tim Davie apologising to the former footballer and the public for the disruption to the BBC's football coverage over the weekend.
In a thread on Twitter, Lineker thanked the public and BBC colleagues for their support in recent days, before voicing his empathy for refugees who cross the Channel on small boats to make it to the UK.
He wrote: “A final thought: 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. It’s heartwarming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you.”
He finished by saying: "We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you."
It was, of course, Lineker's criticism of the government's policy on small boat Channel crossings that sparked the saga that has engulfed the BBC in recent days.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman had announced that anyone arriving in the country on a small boat across the Channel would not be allowed to stay in the UK.
The former England striker compared this policy to “Germany in the 30s,” which the BBC believed breached impartiality guidelines.
After he refused to make an apologetic statement on the show regarding his comments, the BBC made the decision to remove him from Match of the Day.
Following the announcement, a slew of Match of the Day pundits and football journalists across the BBC pulled out of their duties on Saturday.
As a result, the BBC’s football coverage over the weekend was severely disrupted.
The BBC has apologised to Lineker for the saga, with Director General Tim Davie admitting there are “grey areas” in the corporations social media guidelines.
Davie said: “Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.”
In a statement, Davie also announced the BBC will launch an independent review into its social media guidelines, with a particular focus on freelancers outside news and current affairs like Lineker.
He continued: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this.”
Davie also admitted there were "grey areas of the BBC’s social media guidance” that was introduced in 2020, adding he wants to “get matters resolved and our sport content back on air”.
He added that impartiality is “important to the BBC and the public as a whole, noting the corporation has a “commitment to impartiality in its Charter and a commitment to freedom of expression”.
The saga has also sparked debate around the level of influence the Tory government has over the corporation.
The BBC’s chair Richard Sharp is currently under investigation for his role in helping Boris Johnson secure a huge loan while he was Prime Minister.
Some have also questioned why Lineker has been pulled up for his comments when the same treatment was seemingly never applied to the likes of Alan Sugar and Andrew Neil.
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