 "Gary Lineker is facing backlash over his post on Israel-Palestine conflict. Image: Reuters")
Gary Lineker , one of England’s most famous footballers and a top TV presenter, is leaving the BBC after a big controversy. Lineker shared a social media post on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict that many people said was anti-semitic and now he is stepping down from his role at the BBC because of it.
The 64-year-old had initially planned to step down from BBC show Match of the Day at the end of the season but continue with the organisation for other major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and FA Cup. However, the broadcaster announced on Monday that Lineker would now step back from all duties following the backlash over his post.
Lineker made headlines after he reposted a video from the group Palestine Lobby titled ‘Zionism explained in two minutes.’ The video featured a rat as a symbol to talk about Israelis. It has been previously used in antisemitic Nazi propaganda. Lineker deleted the post quickly after realising the mistake but the damage was already done.
“I recognise the error and upset that I caused,” Lineker said after facing the backlash over the post.
Now that he is leaving the BBC entirely, here’s how much money the former England footballer will miss out on.
How much was Lineker earning at BBC?
Gary Lineker was reportedly the highest-paid presenter at the BBC. As per reports, he was earning around £1.3 million every year. That is about Rs 13.8 crore in Indian rupees. Out of that, about £800,000 (around Rs 8.5 crore) came from hosting the popular football highlights show Match of the Day.
How much money will Lineker lose?
Now that Lineker is leaving the BBC, he will miss out on his full £1.3 million (Rs 13.8 crore) salary starting next season. He could lose about £800,000 (Rs 8.5 crore) a year from Match of the Day. On top of that, he will lose £500,000 (Rs 5.3 crore) or more from other BBC shows he won’t be doing now.
Will this affect his income a lot?
Even though he is losing a big BBC paycheck, Gary Lineker is still very wealthy and doesn’t need any organisation to keep going. He runs his own podcast company called Goalhanger, which makes very popular shows like The Rest is History and The Rest is Football, which were also available on BBC Sounds.