What did Gary Lineker say that led to BBC punishment? Everything we know

More than two years have passed since was temporarily suspended by the . The former striker came under fire for social media comments he made about an immigration policy launched by the then-Conservative government, despite being the highest-paid presenter of the publicly-funded broadcaster at the time.

A promotional video to launch the asylum policy in March 2023 featured former Home Secretary saying that the UK had become 'overwhelmed' by migrants and featured her plans to stop them crossing the channel in small boats. Lineker responded: "Good heavens, this is beyond awful." One social media user replied by calling him 'out of order', adding: "It's easy to pontificate when it doesn't affect you."

Lineker hit back with: "There is no huge influx [of migrants]. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I'm out of order?"

The remarks sparked a heated debate about the impartiality requirements of BBC employees. Lineker was told to step back from his duties as presenter of Match of the Day (MOTD) pending an agreement on his social media use.

Fellow MOTD regulars Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Alex Scott boycotted the show in solidarity with Lineker, and one surreal episode was aired without any pundit analysis.

Braverman lashed out at Lineker's online remarks, calling them 'unacceptable on so many levels'. Lineker responded to the furore by saying: "I'll continue to try and speak up for those pure souls that have no voice."

The row put BBC Director-General Tim Davie in an awkward position, having made impartiality a key element of his leadership. Lineker's posts led to more comprehensive rules against BBC flagship presenters launching attacks on political parties. The 64-year-old swiftly returned to his post, but he is stepping down from MOTD at the end of the season as he felt the broadcaster was ready to make a change.

Lineker claims to have no regrets about his anti-government outburst but he admits he is still pained by the damage it caused to the BBC.

"I don't regret saying [my comments] publicly," he said. "Because I was right - what I said, it was accurate - so not at all in that sense. Would I, in hindsight, do it again? No I wouldn't, because of all the nonsense that came with it... It was a ridiculous overreaction that was just a reply to someone that was being very rude. And I wasn't particularly rude back.

"But I wouldn't do it again because of all the kerfuffle that followed, and I love the BBC, and I didn't like the damage that it did to the BBC... But do I regret it and do I think it was the wrong thing to do? No."