Lineker reveals Ian Wright's instant solidarity vow after BBC axed him from Match of the Day

Gary Lineker has recalled the moment Ian Wright vowed to walk away from Match of the Day in solidarity, hours after the BBC removed Lineker from the programme in March 2023 over social media posts criticising the government’s asylum policy.

Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Lineker described finding out about his suspension not through a direct call from the BBC, but by seeing the news on social media while having lunch at a London restaurant. He said the lack of a personal heads-up struck him as “a bit strange”.

The day before the suspension was announced, Lineker had already sensed trouble. In a WhatsApp group he shared with fellow MOTD presenters Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, he told them he had “a feeling they might take me off the show”. Wright’s response was immediate. “Well if they do that, I’m not doing it in solidarity. I’m not doing Match of the Day,” Wright replied, according to Lineker. “It was like a real ‘wow’ moment. Because I didn’t ask them to do that.”

The fallout was swift and visible. With multiple BBC sports presenters and pundits declining to appear in support of Lineker, the corporation broadcast an edition of Match of the Day without commentary or pundits — an unprecedented move that drew widespread attention.

The BBC and Lineker subsequently issued a joint statement through director-general Tim Davie confirming his suspension had been lifted and that the corporation would review its social media guidelines, which had been introduced in 2020. “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences,” Davie said. “I apologise for this.”

Lineker, who fronted Match of the Day from 1999 to 2025, said he remained comfortable with his original comments throughout the episode. “I was totally at ease with what I’d done. I thought it was humanitarian,” he said. “I responded, I thought I was factually correct.”

The 65-year-old departed Match of the Day at the end of the 2024/25 season. He had been due to continue with BBC coverage of the FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup, but those arrangements were cancelled in May 2025.