One for all, all for Gary. The BBC is under pressure after the outcry over Gary Lineker's suspension. No way out of the crisis seems in sight Sunday, two days after the storm triggered by the suspension of the former footballer, star presenter of the show "Match Of The Day".
The BBC's sports programming will be turned upside down for the second day in a row after the defection of many consultants and commentators, "in solidarity" with Lineker. On Saturday, several football broadcasts were cancelled at the last minute, forcing the BBC to apologise to viewers.
The former FC Barcelona striker was sacked on Friday for criticising the Conservative government's bill to prevent migrants arriving via the English Channel from seeking asylum in the UK. A project denounced all the way to the UN.
"He will never go back on his words"
The case still makes headlines, such as the Sunday Express, which headlines: "Black-out at BBC Sport". British Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said he wanted "the BBC to maintain its reputation for independence and impartiality." "When you interview me, people need to know that you are doing it on behalf of the public, not for political reasons," he said.
The BBC is regularly attacked by the Conservatives, who accuse it of having covered Brexit in a biased way and of being interested in urban elites more than the working classes. Last year, the government froze the fee for two years. The opposition accuses the BBC of having bowed to the pressure of the government.
Under pressure, the group's chief executive, Tim Davie, refused to resign, saying he wanted to "settle the situation calmly" and that "Gary return to the air". The presenter "loves Match Of The Day but he will never go back on his words," said in the Sunday Mirror the son of the footballer, George Lineker.
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