Lineker ‘helped write’ BBC social media rules
TV presenter claims he played part in drawing up guidelines that give him ‘much more freedom’
‘The BBC love me [being] on Twitter because I promote their shows. I’m always sensible’
GARY LINEKER has said he helped to draw up the BBC social media guidelines that allow him “much more freedom”.
The presenter suggested that viewers and listeners who accuse the corporation of bias are biased themselves: “The bias is theirs.” He also said that the BBC “loves” his social media use because it helps to promote Match of the Day.
The broadcaster commissioned a review of the guidelines, conducted by former news executive John Hardie, after a Lineker tweet last year about Suella Braverman’s small boats policy caused a media storm.
As a result, the guidelines were updated to state that presenters of “crown jewel” shows, which include Match of the Day, can continue to share views on political issues providing they do not endorse or attack political parties, or criticise individual politicians.
“I know the guidelines really well. I was partly involved in drawing them up, in terms of having an interview with John,” Lineker said during an event hosted by the Broadcasting Press Guild.
“I don’t think I’m constrained. I think I tweet now like I’ve always tweeted. I know the guidelines inside out. Obviously, the new guidelines allow much more freedom. We’re allowed opinions.” Discussing his use of X, formerly Twitter, Lineker said: “It’s a very useful platform for me. And it’s great, and the BBC love me [being] on there because I promote their shows. We’ve been given a lot more leeway now, which is a good thing. I’m always sensible.”
Lineker has caused more controversy in recent weeks with tweets about the Israel-gaza conflict. Last month, he shared a social media post calling for Israel to be banned from international football. He later deleted it, saying that he had mistaken it for a news report.
Claiming that a retweet was not the same as an endorsement, Lineker said: “People misunderstood. They thought it was my opinion… The same day, I retweeted that Jose Mourinho had been sacked by Roma. Does that mean I wanted him sacked by Roma? Of course not.”
Samir Shah, the incoming BBC chairman, recently told a committee of MPS at his pre-appointment hearing that Lineker probably did breach guidelines with some of his tweets. But Lineker said: “He wasn’t in the role [of chairman] at that point and I think he was put on the spot.”
He said last year’s furore, in which he was briefly taken off air by the BBC director-general and BBC Sport colleagues downed tools in protest, was a “lover’s tiff ”.
Lineker compared people who complain about political bias at the BBC with Match of the Day viewers who complain that their team is always on last.
“It’s like in football – we get lots and lots of complaints about where someone’s team is in the running order. Now, no one ever complains about someone else’s team and where they are in the running order. They’ll claim bias against their team, therefore the bias is theirs. I think it’s exactly the same in politics.”
In addition to his BBC work, for which he is paid £1.35million per year, Lineker co-founded Goalhanger, which is behind some of Britain’s most successful podcasts. They include The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, and The Rest is History
with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook.
Asked if he would renew his BBC contract, or leave the corporation to concentrate on Goalhanger, Lineker said: “I’ve still got quite a long time on my contract, so it’s too early to contemplate at the moment, but I love doing Match of the Day.”
He added: “I love working for the BBC. I’ve worked for them for 30 years, almost, and in that time we’ve had one little fall-out which was quickly overcome. I love the BBC. It’s an amazing institution. We’re on the same team.”
A BBC source said: “John Hardie sought a wide range of views both inside and outside the BBC before determining his views.”