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25th February 2020
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25th February 2020 News
Gary Lineker set to leave BBC this week following more controversy
Danny Jones
Former footballer and veteran presenter Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC earlier than expected following further political controversies and social media backlash.
Lineker has been butting heads with the presenter for a couple of years now, being suspended by the national corporation back in March 2023 for his comments about language used by the Conservative government, and has continued to take issue with certain aspects of their news coverage.
Following the most recent incident last week, in which the 64-year-old apologised for sharing what has been described as an ‘offensive’ and since-deleted Zionism post, which included an image of a rat.
He has since gone on to share a further video expressing his regret over what he called an “honest mistake”, as well as confirming that he will be making a premature exit from the BBC.
As you can see in the clip above, he says: “I apologise unreservedly for the hurt and upset caused,” insisting that he didn’t see the emoji in question
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Lineker is now expected to leave following his final Match of the Day programme this weekend after having already confirmed he would be leaving the role after 26 years at the end of the season.
The ex-English footballer was set to present the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer, but given the latest furore, he will be stepping away ahead of schedule.
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Having gradually wound down his work with networks like TNT Sports (previously BT Sport) and the BBC in recent years, he has been slowly shifting his focus to his own Goalhanger Podcasts company, which includes several popular audio formats under The Rest Is… brand, including his own flagship The Rest Is Football show.
He goes on to add that he’s “stood up for minorities and humanitarian issues and against all forms of racism all my life.” Since the most recent Israel-Palestine conflicts began, he’s been particularly outspoken on the events. One recent interview with the BBC itself sparked plenty of discussion online.
Gary Lineker, "What's going on there (Gaza), the mass murder of thousands of children is something we should have an opinion on"
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) April 22, 2025
Amol Rajan, "The BBC needs to be impartial about it"
Gary Linekar, "Why? It needs to be factual"
Amol Rajan, "It needs to be impartial about… pic.twitter.com/LFUuvpvyCe
Lineker reiterated that he would never “knowingly share anything antisemitic” and removed the problematic post as soon as he was made aware.
Nevertheless, the BBC and director general Tim Davie have been facing pressure to address the situation ever since it happened, with many calling for the household name to be sacked.
It seems the ex-Everton, Leicester, Spurs and Barcelona player has made the decision for them.
As he goes on to conclude, despite expressing gratitude regarding his relationship with the BBC, he feels the “time is right […’ to go our separate ways.”
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Featured Images — BBC/Gary Lineker (screenshot)
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Three teenagers arrested on suspicion of arson after large moorland fire in Bury
Emily Sergeant
Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a large moorland fire took place in Bury last month.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained it was called to reports of an ‘ongoing fire’ at Holcombe Hill at around 12:30pm on Tuesday 13 May, and officers accompanied colleagues from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) in attending the scene.
After emergency services attended, the fire was successfully contained and put out later in the afternoon.
An investigation was then subsequently launched.
#ARREST | Three teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a large moorland fire took place in Bury on Tuesday 13 May 2025.
— Bury Police (GMP) (@GMPBuryPolice) May 16, 2025
We were called at 12.30pm to reports of an ongoing fire at Holcombe Hill.
All three teenagers have been bailed.https://t.co/S2g3bW35ol pic.twitter.com/BFucPecN73
“Wildfires can spread quickly and cause devastation to the land and wildlife on it,” explained GMFRS’s wildfire lead and national tactical adviser for wildfires, Ady Taylor, “so it’s vitally important that people call 999 as soon as they think they see a fire.”
He continued: “We want people to enjoy the countryside and moorland we have in Greater Manchester, but… [we] remind people to always act responsibly while out enjoying these environments.
“This means no BBQs, fires or fireworks – as they can easily result in wildfires.”
On Wednesday 14 May 2025, a teenage boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and interviewed by police in relation to the incident, and then the following day on Thursday 15 May 2025, another two boys were also arrested – with each of the three having now been released on bail pending further enquiries while investigations are ongoing.
Detective Inspector Andy Wright, from GMP’s Bury district, added: “The moorland fire is being investigated as arson following information from a witness and enquiries we have made.
“We have managed to apprehend three teenagers in relation to this incident, all of them have been bailed following interviews with our officers.”
GMP and GMFRS is reminding Greater Manchester residents that if they see a fire in the countryside, they need to report it immediately, leave the area as soon as possible, and dial 999, and if you witness illegal activity in relation to the fire, then you can report it to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
Read more:
- Disposable barbecues could be banned in the UK to cut down on wildfire risk
- Greater Manchester council tax could be increased to improve region’s fire service
- Wigan woman jailed after hitting pedestrian in Fiat 500 while driving high on nitrous oxide ‘balloons’
“Fires can have such a devastating effect, and we are lucky that this has not caused a significant amount of damage, or cost lives,” Detective Inspector Andy Wright concluded.
Featured Image – Mick Garrett (via Geograph)
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