BBC Anchor Gary Lineker to Step Down Over Antisemitic Post

Gary Lineker, the former England soccer player turned BBC sports presenter, is expected to step down from the broadcaster on Monday following backlash over a social media post in which he portrayed Jews as rats, according to reports in the UK media.

According to The Sun, Lineker’s departure from the BBC comes after 26 years and is being framed as a “mutual agreement.” Similar reports have emerged from other news sources, including the BBC itself.**

The 64-year-old broadcaster faced criticism on Tuesday for reposting a message from the Palestine Lobby group. The post, titled “Zionism explained in two minutes,” featured an image of a rat — an animal historically used in antisemitic propaganda to depict Jews, particularly during Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

On Wednesday, Lineker issued an apology, stating that he had reposted content that he later learned contained “offensive references.”

“I take full responsibility for this mistake,” said Lineker. “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.”