The BBC is an amazing institution, but its also a complex company, Gary Lineker told me last month, during an exclusive interview for FourFourTwo.
Its a challenge at times. I think maybe we let ourselves down a bit in terms of cowering to the critics youre never going to make them happy anyway. Politically, its a difficult place to work, in some ways.
On Monday, that last sentence was proven once more. Amid increasing tension about his social media posts, Lineker announced hed be leaving the corporation a year early.
Gary Lineker was engaging interviewee
My interview with Lineker was for the cover of last months magazine, to mark the fact hed be stepping down as presenter of Match of the Day at the end of the season, after 26 years.
Arranging an interview with a big name can sometimes be complicated, but this time it was refreshingly straightforward I made a request to his representatives, and they quickly replied to say that theyd asked Gary, and hed be happy to talk to us.
Lineker had spoken to FFT several times in the past, and had always been friendly and engaging with us I can certainly vouch for that, on the occasions when Id spoken to him myself.
This time was no different. There were no demands to see the questions in advance, as can sometimes happen in this industry. He was happy to sit down and talk candidly about his career and his life we chatted for the magazine for the best part of an hour, in a private room above a cinema near his home in Barnes, west London.
Just like you see on the television, I again found him a thoroughly decent man, quick-witted and enjoyable to chat to.
Take politics out of it, and hes long been a national treasure. In fact take politics out of it, and I put it to him that he might well have a knighthood by now. His list of achievements in football and television compares well to others whove previously been knighted.
In our interview, he insisted that even if it cost him honours in the future though, he wouldnt stop speaking out about issues that mattered to him. No, thats way more important, he said. Youve got certain values. I try to stand up for things I believe are important.
He was briefly suspended by the BBC in 2023 for a tweet calling the governments policy on asylum seekers immeasurably cruel, and some things will always prompt him to speak out.
Humanitarian issues, he said. People say Oh, youve got a view on everything. I havent. Its just looking at how we treat each other. I find hatred tough to understand.
A now polarising figure
The more hes spoken out though, the more its divided opinion on him, such is the increasingly polarised world that we live in today.
His tweet about asylum seekers had essentially been doing no more than advocating kindness to all human beings. That was it, but thats not necessarily seen as a good thing by some, he says. Its bonkers.
Even reaction to our front cover had the same polarising effect. Many readers said Great, I love Gary, and were delighted to see him interviewed in our magazine. Positive feedback was greater than for any of our other recent magazines. Others made it clear that they didnt like him.
Ultimately, it was one specific Instagram post that precipitated his early exit from the BBC.
A few days ago, having previously expressed his horror at events that have been unfolding in Gaza, Lineker shared a post about Zionism that included a drawing of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic insult.
Lineker has made clear that he did not see the drawing and deleted it as soon as he was made aware of it, but it was a serious misjudgement that prompted him to apologise.
After previous tension between Lineker and the BBC over his social media posts, it was one controversy too many.
Lineker's World Cup dream
Its put an end to plans for Lineker to step down from Match of the Day at the end of the Premier League season, but still continue to present FA Cup matches next term, before finishing with the BBC at the World Cup.
I liked the idea of finishing at the World Cup, for my ego or whatever it is, he told me. Its mainly as I just want to say the words England have won the World Cup youll never hear from me again if those are my last words!
Ive always said that my ambition in broadcasting is not about me, its Can I please one day say that England have won a tournament? Ive only got one chance left.
That chance has now gone, with the BBC at least he insisted during our interview that he had no intention of appearing regularly on another channel after leaving the Beeb, but that was before this unexpected turn of events. What happens now is harder to say.
If this weekends final Match of the Day of 2024/25 is the end of his television career, its a sad end for a broadcasting great, who clearly didnt want to finish in this manner, even if his parting with the BBC was ultimately described as mutual.
Maybe though, Englands hopes of winning the World Cup have just increased. In our interview, I asked Lineker how hed feel if the Three Lions finally won a tournament immediately after hed left the BBC.
Thats what will happen I said to someone You know whats going to happen here, dont you? I am the jinx! he smiled.
As a player, a quarter-final and semi-final. Recently weve had two finals in the Euros and the semis of the World Cup maybe Im the jinx, maybe I should go this summer!
In that jovial moment, he was oblivious to how things would unfold in the weeks ahead. Lineker may have been a jinx, but hes been a highly entertaining jinx for the best part of three decades on television. It wasnt meant to end like this.
