Gary Lineker had Mohamed Salah interview axed by BBC as major fears arose

Gary Lineker had Mohamed Salah interview axed by BBC as major fears arose Newspoint | 02/06/2025 21:39:17

Gary was reportedly set to conduct an interview with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah ahead of , but BBC chiefs scrapped it amid concerns he might discuss Gaza. The chat was cancelled and not rescheduled, with Lineker leaving the after the 2024/25 season wrapped up.

Lineker, who took over as presenter in 1999, became a staple on British TV, fronting the World Cup and FA Cup broadcasts, along with the Sports Personality of the Year programme. His final years at the Beeb were marred by controversy, including a suspension in March 2023 following remarks about the government.

Initially planning to leave Match of the Day while staying on at the BBC for another year, Lineker chose to depart earlier after a social media post he shared about Zionism sparked accusations of antisemitism.

READ MORE:

The Sun reports that Lineker's planned interview with Salah was abruptly dropped due to fears of potential contentious comments about Gaza. BBC's director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, who took up his role the previous summer, reportedly made the decision to cancel the interview.

A source revealed to the same newspaper: "The plan was for the interview to be shown across the BBC the weekend of Gary's final Match Of The Day.

"That would include on Football Focus the day before as well as online and on social media. 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 denied the allegations, asserting: "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."

However, an insider shared: "A cross-platform interview with the [Premier League] champions' star player could have aired anytime. Salah wanted to speak to Gary so to axe it entirely seems short-sighted."