Gary Lineker reveals what really happened during BBC exit talks

Gary Lineker has admitted he was told to leave by the BBC after heshared a pro-Palestine video on social media. The post, accompanied by a rat emoji, sparked widespread backlash and led to calls for the Beeb to sack the 64-year-old with immediate effect.

In May, it was confirmed he would leave the company at the end of the 2024/25 football season. By then, it had already been announced the ex-England striker would be replaced as the main presenter of Match of the Day. However, he had been due to continue with the BBC for a further 12 months, and was expected to front their coverage of the 2026 World Cup.

Lineker did apologise for his actions, and initially implied he had made the decision himself to walk away. He stated that "stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."

However, he's now offered a different version. In an interview with The New World, he was asked whether he quit himself or was told to go, and candidly replied "the latter."

However, the former England striker who won a Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, still insisted his social media post was a genuine mistake, and said he hadn't noticed the emoji. Asked about the image of the rat, he said: "I missed it. To be honest, I wouldn't have understood the connotations anyway until it was pointed out to me.

"I genuinely didn't see it. I'm not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there. Why would you ever conflate a rodent with a human?"

Admitting the ordeal had taken its toll, he added: "I wouldn't do that on purpose - it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. But yeah, it was a tough couple of days."

Prior to his departure, Linker was the BBC's highest-earning presenter, with an annual salary of £1.35million. He had been the main presenter of MOTD since 1999, replacing Des Lynham after intially joining the shiow as a pundit.