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– Gary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day after he was taken off air following an impartiality row in which he criticised the government’s new asylum policy.
– BBC director general Tim Davie announced an independent review will be carried out on social media guidelines.
– Lineker said he backs the review and is looking forward to getting back on air.
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– He said the last few days had been “surreal” and thanked people for “incredible support”.
– Weekend football coverage across the BBC was disrupted due to walkouts triggered by Lineker’s suspension.
– In a statement, Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences.
– “I apologise for this.”
Statement from BBC Director-General Tim Davie regarding Gary Lineker
➡️ https://t.co/Lzkor1pvuI pic.twitter.com/r6RCEbteev
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) March 13, 2023
– Last week, in a tweet Lineker compared the language used to set out the government’s asylum plan to “that used by Germany in the 30s”.
– His words, about the government’s new Illegal Migration Bill, were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the home secretary.
– Lineker was told on Friday he had to apologise for his tweets or would be unable to present Match of the Day at the weekend.
– When he refused to do so, he was taken off air, triggering an unprecedented wave of walkouts from fellow pundits and commentators.
– After announcing he will return to presenting on BBC TV, Lineker tweeted: “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 heart-warming to have seen the empathy towards their plight from so many of you.
– “We remain a country of predominantly tolerant, welcoming and generous people.”
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. 1/4
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) March 13, 2023
