BBC stars told to follow rules after Gary Lineker post

The BBC's brag has reminded stars to travel the corporation's rules and debar damaging "mistakes", aft Gary Lineker attracted renewed disapproval for his usage of societal media.

On Tuesday, the Match of the Day big deleted an Instagram communicative post helium shared from the radical Palestine Lobby, which said: "Zionism explained successful 2 minutes" and featured an illustration of a rat.

A rat has historically been utilized arsenic an antisemitic insult, referring to connection utilized by Nazi Germany to characterise Jews. His representatives said helium was not alert of the connection.

Asked whether the station had breached BBC guidelines, manager wide Tim Davie said: "The BBC's estimation is held by everyone, and erstwhile idiosyncratic makes a mistake, it costs us."

He added: "I deliberation we perfectly request radical to beryllium exemplars of the BBC values and travel our societal media policy. It's arsenic elemental arsenic that."

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was submitting a ailment to the BBC, adding that Lineker's "continued relation with the BBC is untenable".

The foundation posted connected X: "Nothing to spot here. Just Gary Lineker's Instagram relationship sharing an anti-Israel video misrepresenting Zionism, implicit with a rat emoji."

A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said "the BBC should inquire him to permission present alternatively than allowing him to dictate his ain terms".

"He has caused large offence with this video – peculiarly with his egregious usage of a rat emoji to exemplify Zionists."

Lineker's cause said: "Whilst viewing and reposting a video, Gary did not announcement a rodent emoticon added by the writer of the post. Although if helium had, helium would not person made immoderate connection. The repost has been removed."

Zionism refers to the question to make a Jewish authorities successful the Middle East, astir corresponding to the humanities onshore of Israel, and frankincense enactment for the modern authorities of Israel.

The BBC, erstwhile asked connected Tuesday if it had immoderate remark connected Lineker's now-removed post, responded by referring to its guidance connected idiosyncratic usage of societal media.

The erstwhile England striker has attracted disapproval earlier for his posts connected societal media successful the past.

He was temporarily suspended from the BBC successful March 2023 aft an impartiality enactment implicit a station successful which helium said connection utilized to beforehand a authorities asylum argumentation was "not dissimilar to that utilized by Germany successful the 30s".

The BBC's societal media rules were past rewritten to accidental presenters of flagship programmes extracurricular quality and existent affairs - including Match of the Day - person "a peculiar work to respect the BBC's impartiality, due to the fact that of their illustration connected the BBC".

In November 2024, Lineker announced his departure from Match of the Day, but helium volition stay with the BBC to beforehand FA Cup and World Cup coverage.