Gary Lineker will resume his hosting duties on the BBC’s Match of the Day football programme this Saturday, after the broadcaster came to an accord when taking him off the air for comments about refugees sparked an investigation, however, Lineker’s arrogance over the whole fiasco has now been revealed.
As the corporation’s highest paid star, per BBC.com, Lineker undoubtedly has sway and influence,
His agent, Jon Holmes, writing in the New Statesman (subscription required), noted that his client believed he had a ‘special agreement’ with BBC Director General, Tim Davie, to tweet about refugees and immigration.
Who on earth does Gary Lineker think he is?! That’s just astonishing in its shamelessness.
The arguments that anyone with a social media presence should be able to comment on any matters arising which they feel strongly about, provided their employers don’t expressly prevent the same, are likely to continue to rage.
Lineker looked to have taken the moral high ground once his tweets appeared to have caused some consternation at BBC towers, and evidently was in no mood to back down or offer an apology, reading between the lines of his son, George’s tweet.
Now that the reasons why he seemed unwilling to do so have been revealed, it will almost certainly reopen the discussion as to what should and shouldn’t be allowed to be spoken about from a personal social media account.
Questions may also be asked of the BBC as to why their most senior presenter believed he had certain special privileges not afforded to anyone else.
It’s another twist in the saga which appears to have more time to run yet…