BBC Ends Agreement for Gary Lineker’s The Rest is Football Podcast
The BBC has officially ended its collaboration with Gary Lineker’s podcast, The Rest is Football, following controversies surrounding the presenter. This decision comes in light of Lineker’s recent exit, which was connected to an antisemitism controversy.
The latest episode featuring Lineker alongside Match of the Day contributors Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will be the final installment available on BBC Sounds, the broadcaster’s audio streaming service.
Originally, a one-year licensing agreement was established in November with Goalhanger, the podcast production company co-founded by Lineker. At that time, the BBC had announced that episodes of the podcast would remain on its audio platform for a duration of three years.
In contrast, the podcast’s sibling show, The Rest is History, hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, will still be accessible on BBC Sounds.
Sources indicate that the decision to drop The Rest is Football is closely linked to Lineker, aged 64, stepping back from his role at the BBC after he made a social media post related to Zionism that featured a rat—a symbol associated with historical antisemitic sentiments.
“Gary is stepping back from the BBC as of Sunday, which implies that there will be no MoTD or Rest is Football on BBC Sounds,” stated an insider. “However, this is not a reflection on Goalhanger, which we collaborate with effectively.”
Following his departure from Match of the Day, Lineker has apologized for the contentious post and will no longer present BBC coverage of significant sports events, such as the 2026 World Cup and the upcoming FA Cup.
The move to discontinue the podcast was met with approval from staff members, some of whom had previously voiced opposition to its existence on a BBC platform.
“I can’t understand how it was allowed to remain on air,” remarked one employee. “This should be a clear stance moving forward. I hope management takes the lessons from this situation seriously and adopts a zero-tolerance policy, although I’m concerned they might not. All staff, including Jews, deserve a respectful workplace.”
The Rest is Football will still be accessible on other audio platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify.
During the recent Euros 2024 tournament, the podcast achieved impressive metrics with a total of 20 million downloads and views on full episodes on YouTube.
Requests for comments were made to both the BBC and Goalhanger.
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