Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker issued an unreserved apology for a social media video – branded “completely unacceptable” – he shared which led to his early exit from the BBC

Gary Lineker has been slammed in a scathing rant for “damaging the reputation of the BBC by making it all about him”.

The star, 64, will leave his presenting role at the BBC after this weekend’s Match of the Day episode, and will no longer front the corporation’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season following a social media video he shared recently. The post about Zionism, which featured a picture of a rat, was branded “completely unacceptable” by Downing Street.

Lineker, who began presenting the iconic BBC show in 1999, has faced fierce criticism for the post, including from those who have known or met him. Peter Bleksley, former undercover detective at Scotland Yard, recalled an encounter with Lineker in 2019, during which he says the former England international “unnecessarily snapped” at a young TV production assistant.

“At one point a young female member of the team – probably fresh out of university – asked a…