what did gary lineker do
Gary Lineker, the former England footballer and BBC presenter, recently made headlines for leaving the BBC amid controversy and pivoting to new ventures like a Netflix deal for his podcast. His actions sparked widespread discussion across news outlets and forums, blending career moves with social media backlash.
Career Shift to Netflix
Lineker's podcast The Rest is Football , co-hosted with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, landed a major Netflix streaming deal announced in December 2025. It will shift to daily episodes during the 2026 World Cup, filmed from a New York studio with global reach, marking Netflix's big push into football content.
This came after his early BBC exit in May 2025, originally set for post-World Cup; he stepped down from Match of the Day at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Netflix will offer video streams, while audio stays on Spotify and Apple—expanding Lineker's Goalhanger Productions, which just scored US investment from The Chernin Group in late January 2026.
BBC Departure Controversy
Lineker left the BBC sooner than planned following backlash over a May 2025 social media post about Zionism, featuring a rat emoji tied to antisemitic history (like Nazi propaganda). He deleted it quickly, apologized "unreservedly," and said he hadn't noticed the emoji, but it fueled his immediate exit.
In an Instagram video, he stressed it went "against everything I stand for" and stepping back felt responsible.
Recent reports (January 2026) highlight ongoing BBC-Lineker tension ahead of the World Cup; the BBC won't fund his podcast, distancing itself from his Netflix rival show while Shearer and Richards still contribute to BBC coverage.
Key Timeline of Events
Here's a breakdown of Lineker's major recent moves:
Date| Event| Details
---|---|---
Nov 2024| Announced Match of the Day exit post-2024-25 season 3| Planned BBC
farewell after FA Cup/World Cup.
May 2025| Social media post controversy; early BBC departure 16| Rat emoji
backlash led to apology and exit.
Sep 2025| Won best TV presenter at National Television Awards 1| Ended Ant &
Dec's streak.
Dec 2025| Netflix deal for Rest is Football World Cup coverage 1| Daily
shows from NYC studio.
Jan 2026| Goalhanger gets Chernin Group investment 79| Fuels podcast
expansion.
Jan 2026| BBC confirms no support for Lineker's podcast 5| Strained ties
resurface pre-World Cup.
Public and Forum Reactions
- Supportive views : Fans praise his punditry authenticity; his 2024 Reddit AMA highlighted career tales and podcast plugs, with users asking about fave matches and teammate quirks.
- Critical takes : Some forums call out repeated BBC clashes (e.g., past political tweets), seeing the rat post as a tipping point; others defend it as an oversight in anti-Zionism discourse.
- Trending buzz : As of January 2026, discussions mix excitement for his ITV game show The Box (debuting soon) with World Cup rivalries—BBC vs. Netflix.
Lineker's move reflects a bold pivot from public broadcaster to global streaming, amid debates on free speech vs. sensitivity.
Broader Context
Lineker's story underscores tensions in sports media: ex-players like him thrive on candor, but social media amplifies missteps. With the World Cup looming (US, Canada, Mexico), expect his Netflix show to draw huge U.S. audiences, challenging BBC's traditional dominance.
He's also eyeing more TV, like The Box where celebs face box-based challenges.
TL;DR : Gary Lineker quit BBC early in 2025 over an antisemitic-emoji scandal, apologized, and scored a Netflix World Cup podcast deal—his production firm just got fresh investment amid BBC friction.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.