London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Newspaper headlines: BBC faces 'revolt' over Lineker as stars walk out

Newspaper headlines: BBC faces 'revolt' over Lineker as stars walk out

Gary Lineker dominates Saturday's front pages after the BBC suspended the Match of the Day star in a row over impartiality.

Most of Saturday's front pages report on Gary Lineker being told to step back from presenting duties by the BBC over his criticism of language used in the government's new asylum policy. The i reports on Lineker's Match of the Day co-stars deciding to walk-out of Saturday's show in "solidarity".



"Revolt for Lineker" is the Daily Mirror's headline, as the paper reports on pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer's decision to pull out of Saturday's Match of the Day programme. A BBC spokesperson said the show will now "focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry". It follows a tweet earlier in the week where the Match of the Day host compared the language used to launch the government's migrant policy with 1930s Germany.



The Daily Telegraph says the BBC is "facing a backlash" after its decision to make Mr Lineker step down from the programme. The paper reports it "plunged the broadcaster into its latest crisis", as critics are asking why it "made an example of Lineker while Richard Sharp, the chairman, remains in his post despite revelations about his involvement in an £800,000 loan arrangement to Boris Johnson".



"Mutiny at BBC over Lineker red card" is how the Daily Mail sums up the story. The paper reports that Lineker was "dramatically" dropped from the sports programme "for his anti-Tory comments on social media". After the government outlined its plans to ban people arriving in the UK on small boats from claiming asylum, Mr Lineker called it an "immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s".



"Beeb's gone too VAR" is the Daily Star's headline, as the paper plays on words - alluding to the video assistant referee used to help referees make decisions during football games.


In its lead, the Guardian reiterates the coverage across most of Saturday's front pages, saying Lineker was suspended after the BBC "insisted his criticism of the government's asylum policies had breached its impartiality guidelines". It calls the broadcaster's decision an "unexpected escalation of a crisis that has been brewing all week".



"Mutiny of the Day" says the Times, as it reports on the BBC being "thrown into a crisis" as Lineker was ordered off air and fellow presenters pulled out in solidarity. The paper goes on to picture Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron after a bilateral summit on Friday where the UK agreed to give France almost £500m over three years to help stop migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.



The Daily Express focuses on the Paris summit - reporting on Rishi Sunak's plans to fund an extra 500 officers and a new detention centre in France, although it will not be fully operational until the end of 2026. The paper notes the the prime minister called it a "big step forward" towards ending the Channel migrant crisis.



The Financial Times features a symbolic picture of Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron, as the UK and France enter what the paper calls a "new chapter" in their hope to tackle illegal migration across the Channel.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×