Gary Lineker, the popular host of Match of the Day, could be returning to the BBC after the corporation’s director general, Tim Davie, confirmed his desire to have him back on the air. In an interview with BBC News, Davie stated that the organization is actively working towards resolving the situation.
Earlier, the BBC had announced that Lineker would step down from his role after commenting on social media criticizing the government’s contentious immigration policy. With Davie now keen on having him back, Lineker’s fans are hopeful that he will soon be back in the hosting chair.
The suspension of Gary Lineker, a popular sports presenter, has caused chaos at the BBC and resulted in a lack of coverage for major sporting events. BBC Director-General, Tim Davie, has expressed regret for the lack of quality sports coverage since the suspension and hopes to bring Lineker back on air soon.
Several other presenters, including Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, have pulled out of programmes in solidarity with Lineker, causing further disruption to the network’s football coverage. In one instance, a programme had to air without presenters or commentators and was shortened to just 20 minutes. The network was also forced to cancel popular shows like Football Focus and Final Score and experienced significant disruption to their Five Live coverage.
The situation is expected to continue, with the upcoming Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Manchester United scheduled to air without any pre-game presentation. The fate of Match of the Day 2, also due to air on the same day, remains uncertain. The network is still grappling with how to manage the fallout from Lineker’s suspension and the subsequent disruption it has caused.
