A week after the BBC’s sports schedule was seriously disrupted by a boycott by staff supporting presenter Gary Lineker, both the presenter and other pundits were back on screen this weekend.
Lineker did not take his usual position as host match of the day Saturday night, but Deputy presenter Mark Chapman was quick to tell viewers it was a date scheduled “weeks ago”.
Meanwhile, Lineker was on lunchtime duty presenting BBC coverage of the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Burnley. His colleague Alan Shearer addressed the issue that had baffled them all weekend.
“I just have to explain and say how upset we were that the whole crowd missed out last weekend,” Shearer said. “It was a very difficult situation for everyone involved and some wonderful people on TV and radio were put in an impossible situation through no fault of their own and it was not fair.
“So it’s good to get back to some kind of normality and talk about football again.”
Lineker added: “Absolutely, I echo those sentiments.”
It follows a turbulent week for the BBC, in which director-general Tim Davie flew back from Washington DC to negotiate the return to the screen of Lineker, the BBC’s highest-paid presenter.
Lineker was previously suspended for sharing a tweet expressing negative views of the government’s immigration policy. Several BBC presenters and other staff walked out in solidarity.
Davie apologized this week for the “difficult time” as he announced an independent review of the company’s social media policy.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
