London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Gary Lineker challenges Elon Musk after Twitter user sends abusive message to son over BBC row

Gary Lineker challenges Elon Musk after Twitter user sends abusive message to son over BBC row

Gary Lineker - who was reinstated as the Match Of The Day host on Monday - tweets a screenshot of a private message sent by a Twitter user describing his son, George, as a "mug" who needed to be "burned at the stake" for defending his father.
Gary Lineker has challenged Twitter boss Elon Musk over a threatening message sent to his son in the wake of the TV presenter's row with the BBC.

The Match Of The Day (MOTD) host - who was reinstated on Monday - tweeted a screenshot of a private message sent by a user describing his eldest son, George, as a "mug" who needed to be "burned at the stake" for defending his father.

Lineker wrote with the image: "Is this acceptable @Twitter @elonmusk? And I don't mean the grammar."

Earlier in the day, George had tweeted: "Social media's mad isn't it. Over the last few days, on insta - never had so many nice messages. On Twitter - never had so much abuse.

"It's not even anything to do with me."

Lineker was suspended by the BBC for his tweets criticising the government's migration policy.

It has now agreed to allow the former England footballer back on air this weekend, with the BBC's director-general Tim Davie denying it amounted to a climbdown by the corporation.

An independent review will now look into its social media usage guidelines.

However, some Tory MPs are furious at the decision, saying it allows Lineker "carte blanche" to say what he likes on social media, despite Mr Davie insisting until the review is published, the presenter will "abide by the editorial guidelines".

Lineker has since started tweeting again about the plight of refugees, writing: "However difficult the last few days have been, it simply doesn't compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away."

The 62-year-old has also thanked his fellow presenters and pundits for their "remarkable show of solidarity" after a number pulled out of BBC shows at the weekend.

In response to his father's messages, George tweeted a goat emoji - often used to signify G.O.A.T, meaning Greatest Of All Time for sportspeople. He later wrote: "Nice work Gaz."

Lineker was taken off air for a tweet comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum seeker policy with that of 1930s Nazi Germany.

Football coverage on BBC TV and radio was affected as pundits, presenters and reporters - including Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Alex Scott - joined a walkout.

The BBC subsequently apologised and reinstated Lineker as host of MOTD.

In a statement yesterday, Mr Davie said: "Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences. I apologise for this.

"The potential confusion caused by the grey areas of the BBC's social media guidance that was introduced in 2020 is recognised. I want to get matters resolved and our sport content back on air."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
×