The BBC has decided to reinstate Gary Lineker as presenter of its sports program “Match of the Day” after temporarily removing him for his comments on Twitter against the British government’s proposed law to limit the arrival of migrants and refugees. The decision to sideline Lineker had sparked controversy within the network and protests from some stars and professionals.
The BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, has apologized for the previous decision and justified the confusion generated by the “gray areas” in the BBC’s guidelines for the use of social networks. Davie has announced that a review of those principles will be carried out by an independent expert who will pay particular attention to the use of networks by BBC freelancers.
Lineker said he was pleased to have found a way out of the situation and expressed his pride in working with “the best and fairest broadcaster in the world.” The former footballer also thanked Davie for his understanding and stressed the importance of not comparing the difficulties of the last few days with the situation of refugees fleeing persecution and war. In an interview with the BBC, Davie confirmed that Lineker has committed to respecting the BBC’s current guidelines on the use of social media.