Gary Lineker pushed out of BBC after pro-Palestine post, ending decades-long career

After a 25-year run as the face of Match of the Day, Gary Lineker is set to walk away from the BBC not with a celebratory send-off, but under a cloud of controversy.

The former England striker’s sudden exit, reportedly to be confirmed after Sunday’s final broadcast of the Premier League season, follows backlash over a now-deleted social media post expressing solidarity with Palestine.

The 64-year-old Lineker had apologized for sharing an image that unintentionally included a symbol historically tied to antisemitic tropes.

But for critics, the reaction from BBC brass has highlighted a more troubling pattern one where vocal support for Palestinian rights increasingly draws disproportionate punishment from Western institutions.

BBC Director General Tim Davie allegedly said Lineker had "broken impartiality rules," even though the tweet was posted in a personal capacity and was swiftly retracted.

What was once framed as a post-retirement transition now appears to be a pressured exit.

Lineker was expected to stay on with the BBC through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but now he is reportedly stepping away entirely ending a relationship with the broadcaster that began while he was still playing football in the early 1990s.

Free speech advocates argue that Lineker’s ouster is the latest example of how dissenting voices particularly those critical of Israel or in support of Palestine are being muted across Western media. 

It follows similar incidents in the US and Europe, where journalists, academics, and even entertainers have faced consequences for expressing pro-Palestinian views.

For a man once hailed for humanizing football punditry, Lineker’s departure leaves a bitter aftertaste.

It’s not just the end of an era for the BBC, but a cautionary tale for public figures who dare to veer from the accepted political script even if only briefly, and even with an apology.

Despite the institutional pressure, a wave of public support has surged in Lineker’s defense.

Fans, journalists, former players, and political commentators have taken to social media under hashtags like #IStandWithGary and #FreeSpeechMatters.