Former BBC sports broadcaster Gary Lineker's interview with Mohamed Salah was cancelled over alleged concerns that Gaza would be discussed, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.
After a joint decision to leave the BBC, Gary Lineker was slated to have his final interview with Liverpool player, Mohamed Salah, who had previously made statements about the situation in Gaza.
The Mail reported that a source shared that this interview was cancelled due to the BBC’s fear that Gaza would “come up naturally in conversation” and cancelled the interview “out of nowhere.”
The Mail reached out to the BBC for comment, and it replied, “The interview was cancelled because it planned to air after Gary's last Match of the Day."
"It would be wrong to suggest anything else,” The BBC concluded.
Gary Lineker's antisemitic post caused him to leave the BBC
This interview cancellation comes after Lineker’s antisemitic social media post that led to the decision for him to leave the BBC.
Gary Lineker pleaded ignorance over an Instagram post using a rat emoji when discussing Zionists, prompting "furious new calls for the BBC to sack him" due to the alleged antisemitic connotations, The Telegraph reported.
Lineker was already reported to leave his role at the BBC at the end of this season, but was expected to cover the 2025-26 FA Cup and World Cup next summer. However, he will now be “bowing out by mutual agreement” with the British broadcaster, according to reports.
The top-scoring professional footballer has fronted the coverage for back-to-back World Cups, European Championships, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year shows. He has been the BBC’s highest-paid on-air talent for seven consecutive years. Lineker was set to leave the BBC’s flagship soccer program, Match of the Day, when the British soccer season concludes in the next few weeks.