BBC has confirmed that Gary Lineker will return as the presenter of their flagship show 'Match of the Day'. This has ended a stand-off between BBC and Gary Lineker who was suspended for criticising UK government's asylum policy on his Twitter handle. Following his suspension, several of BBC's pundits, hosts and commentators had refused to come on the show that had led to several programmes not going on air for the broadcaster especially over the weekend.
BBC Director General Tim Davie lauded Gary Lineker calling him a valued part of the organisation and also stated that he will be covering the show 'Match of the Day' on the weekend. "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," he said.
Davie also apologised to the audience for the disruption of service over the weekend with fellow presenters and pundits throwing their support towards Lineker. He also stated that he has recognised the potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC's social media guidance. "Impartiality is important to the BBC. That is a difficult balancing act to get right where people are subject to different contracts and on air positions, and with different audience and social media profiles.
"An independent review into the guidance will be conducted, including how it applies to freelancers such as Lineker," he added.
Meanwhile, Gary Lineker also confirmed the development officially by tweeting his excitement to return as the presenter of the famous Football show. While he was delighted that the issue was resolved, he didn't forget to thank his colleagues for all the support during this period.
"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. 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.
"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. We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people. Thank you. 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," Lineker wrote in a series of tweets.
