Gary Lineker will return as host of the BBC’s flagship football show Match of the Day, the broadcaster announced on Monday, putting an end to a crisis sparked by his criticism of the UK government’s new asylum policy.
“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,” said BBC director-general Tim Davie.
The ex-England football player was fired after he tweeted a comparison between the new policy’s language and the propaganda used in Germany during the Nazi era.
The broadcaster’s sports coverage was then in disarray as coworkers, pundits, and commentators protested by refusing to work over the weekend.
Lineker tweeted on Monday that “I cannot wait to get back in the MOTD chair on Saturday.
“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,” he added.
Davie apologised for the disruption to the service, saying he 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,” he said.
An independent review into the guidance will be conducted, including how it applies to freelancers such as Lineker, he added.