Gary Lineker presented his final ever Match of the Day last weekend after leaving the BBC early but a new report has now claimed one of his final interviews was brutally axed
The BBC decided to cancel what would have been Gary Lineker‘s final Match of the Day interview shortly before his farewell appearance on the show, it has emerged.
Lineker, 64, bowed out from the iconic highlights show last weekend after 25 years at the helm. His exit from the corporation came shortly after the former England star issued an apology for sharing an anti-Semitic post on social media, prompting him and the BBC to come to terms on an agreement to part ways this year instead of after the 2026 World Cup.
And it has now emerged, via The Sun, that Lineker’s final interview in his role – which was due to be with Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool talisman – was axed at short notice.
The report speculates that the move may have been made by the BBC amid concerns that Lineker ‘would say something controversial about Gaza’ during his chat with Salah.
A source confirmed to the publication that the interview was due to be played across Match of the Day and Football Focus over the weekend of Lineker’s final show before Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC’s director of sport, pulled the plug.
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They added: “Out of nowhere, it got cancelled. Some people think they didn’t want Gary and Mo to talk about Gaza.
“Salah has spoken out in his support for Palestinians living in Gaza and Gary has made his feelings clear too. It felt like it may have come up naturally in conversation.
“It seems they axed it rather than risk possible editorial issues. They’d only just overcome one storm so to face another would have been a nightmare.”
The BBC, however, said of the decision: “The interview was cancelled because it was planned to air after Gary’s last Match of the Day. It would be wrong to suggest anything else.”
Lineker bid an emotional farewell to viewers at the end of his final show in the hotseat, saying: “Let me take this opportunity to thank all of the other pundits that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last 25 years, you’ve made my job so much easier.
“Also, a huge thank you to those you don’t see at home: the work that goes into making this iconic show is a huge team effort. From the editors, to the analysis team, from the commentators to the floor managers, from the producers to the camera operators, from the PAs to the subs, thank you all, you’re the very best.
“Rather like my football career, everyone else did all the hard work and I got the plaudits. It’s been an absolute privilege to host Match of the Day for a quarter of a century. It’s been utterly joyous. I’d like to wish Gabby, Mark and Kelly for when they sit in this chair – the programme is in the best of hands.
“And my final thank you goes to all of you. Thank you for watching. Thank you for all of your love and support over the years. It’s been so special – and I’m sorry that your team was always on last. Time to say goodbye. Goodbye.”
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