Due to an escalating controversy regarding Gary Lineker’s impartiality, more presenters and pundits have left the BBC’s Football Focus and Final Score shows, resulting in their cancellation at the last minute.
Alex Scott, who is the main presenter of both analysis programs and a former Arsenal women’s player, withdrew from the Saturday lunchtime show along with co-presenter Kelly Somers. Scott tweeted two hours before the scheduled airing of Saturday’s episode that “it doesn’t feel right for me to go ahead with the show today.”
#Breaking Saturday's episodes of #BBC's #FootballFocus and #FinalScore have been scrapped at the eleventh hour. Football Focus has now suddenly vanished from the 12:00 slot with just one hour's notice after its presenters refused to appear. https://t.co/nGOrvJGRaM
— Share_Talk ™ (@Share_Talk) March 11, 2023
The BBC is facing a crisis over its decision to remove Lineker from his role as Match of the Day host after he tweeted a comparison between the government’s new migration policy and Nazi Germany. In a show of solidarity with Lineker, several pundits, presenters, and commentators, including Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, have staged a mass boycott, resulting in the first-ever broadcast of only matches on Saturday night’s MOTD in its 59-year history
On Friday night, the Press Association stated that the PFA would fully support players who refuse to fulfil media duties with the BBC following Premier League matches in a show of solidarity with Lineker and other pundits. Several players reportedly sought advice from the union, prompting it to consult with Premier League clubs scheduled to play on Saturday to establish a collective stance.
According to reports, the program was in disarray, with production staff and BBC Sports executives outraged over Lineker’s removal. Some of Lineker’s supporters, including comedian Jason Manford, claimed that anyone who agreed to host the show would be considered a “scab.”
Despite his usual social media activity, Lineker, 61, remained uncharacteristically quiet on the matter.
