LONDON (AP) 鈥� Gary Lineker, the former England soccer player who became a on the BBC, has "apologized unreservedly鈥� for reposting an Instagram story about which featured a picture of a rat.
In a statement Wednesday, Lineker, 64, said he reposted material which he has since subsequently learned contained 鈥渙ffensive references,鈥� adding that he withdrew the post as soon as he became aware of the issue.
鈥淚 take full responsibility for this mistake," said Lineker. 鈥淚 would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in."
Lineker came under criticism on Tuesday after he shared a post from the group, Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, titled: 鈥淶ionism explained in two minutes.鈥�
Rats, linked to disease and dirt, have been used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including in 1930s Germany.
Lineker, who of the BBC's flagship soccer highlights program 鈥淢atch of the Day鈥� later this month after more than 25 years at the helm, is .
The former Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona striker has been reprimanded on prior occasions over his activities on social media. Most notably, he was from the BBC in March 2023 after an impartiality row over comments he made criticizing the then Conservative government鈥檚 new asylum policy.
He was among 500 other high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC to re-broadcast a documentary, 鈥淕aza: How to Survive a War Zone,鈥� to its streaming service, BBC iPlayer. The documentary was pulled after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
鈥淲hilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters,鈥� he said in his apology Wednesday.
Though Lineker is leaving his role at 鈥淢atch of the Day,鈥� he has signed a contract extension that will see him host the national broadcaster鈥檚 coverage of the FA Cup through to 2026 as well as next year's World Cup tournament in North America. He has for years been the BBC's highest paid star.
Prior to Lineker's apology, the BBC's director-general Tim Davie said the broadcaster's reputation is 鈥渉eld by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.鈥�
He added: 鈥淎nd I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that."
The Campaign Against Antisemitism has urged Davie to sack Lineker, who is also the co-founder of the hugely successful 鈥淕oalhanger鈥� podcasts, makers of the popular 鈥淭he Rest is History鈥� series and its spin-offs about politics, football, entertainment and money.
鈥淎s the BBC鈥檚 highest-paid presenter and owner of a major media enterprise, maybe he knows exactly what he鈥檚 doing," a spokersperson for the organization said. "Having looked the other way until now, at this point, it is clear that Mr. Lineker鈥檚 continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go.鈥�
Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
