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BBC Apologizes Over Gary Lineker Migrant Tweet Chaos

The broadcaster’s decision to bench Gary Lineker quickly ballooned into the biggest political row in Britain.

After days of unprecedented turmoil, the BBC has apologized and its star soccer host Gary Lineker will be back on the air after he was dropped for criticizing the U.K. government’s policy on migration. Lineker, a former England soccer player and the host of the BBC’s Match of the Day, was dropped from the show’s lineup last week after he tweeted that the British government’s immigration policy was “beyond awful” and articulated in rhetoric “not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.” After Lineker—the BBC’s highest-paid star—was ordered to step down from hosting, fellow BBC sportscasters and pundits boycotted the broadcaster in solidarity which in turn forced the BBC to cancel its scheduled soccer shows. On Monday, the BBC Director General Tim Davie apologized for the mayhem, vowed to review the broadcaster’s social media policies, and said: “Gary is a valued part of the BBC and I know how much the BBC means to Gary, and I look forward to him presenting our coverage this coming weekend.” In a Twitter thread on Monday, Lineker thanked colleagues for their support, adding “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.”