Details of an email sent to all BBC staff regarding Gary Lineker's early departure have been revealed.
In November, the BBC confirmed that beloved Match of the Day host Lineker would be stepping down at the end of the season, following over two decades of leading the show.
Presenters Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan were later announced as Lineker's replacements for the flagship football show, while Lineker would remain on duty for the BBC's coverage of the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup.
However, after the former Spurs and Barcelona star accidentally reposted a offensive video including an anti-semitic emoji, he confirmed that he would no longer be working for the BBC in any capacity, with Sunday's MOTD Premier League finale being his last show.
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And now, details of an important email sent to all BBC staff by director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski regarding Lineker's upcoming exit have emerged online.
In an internal email thanking Lineker for all of his work with the BBC, Kay-Jelski admitted that the fallout of Lineker's social media post has been a difficult and emotional time.
It read: "You will have seen in the past few minutes that Gary Lineker will be leaving the BBC at the end of the current football season. I appreciate the last week has been difficult and emotional for many of you.
"Thank you for all the messages and conversations, even if some of them weren’t easy to have. And I hope you understand that I had to wait until now to tell you the news. It is sad to be saying goodbye to such a brilliant broadcaster and I also want to thank Gary for his years of service.
"As ever, if you have questions, you know where I am. Let’s finish the season strongly with Gary's final show, enjoy an incredible summer of sport and look forward with excitement to what lies ahead."
In his own statement addressing the incident, Lineker took full responsibility for the mistake and apologised for any offence and upset caused, reiterating that it was not at all what he intended and that antisemitism goes against everything he stands for.
The controversial incident comes after the 64-year-old has been outspoken about the ongoing Gaza–Israel conflict.
Topics: Gary Lineker, Match Of The Day, Football
Ben McCrum