Fatboy Slim shares support for Gary Lineker following BBC suspension

11 March, 2023

Fatboy Slim has thrown his support behind Gary Lineker after the footballer turned pundit was asked to “step back” from his presenting duties at the BBC.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlined the government’s controversial plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum.

Lineker responded, calling 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”. Braverman then hit out at Lineker, saying that his comments “diminished the unspeakable tragedy” of the Holocaust.

 

Following the exchange and the controversy that followed, the BBC told Lineker to step back from his presenting duties on Match Of The Day until “we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.”

The BBC went on to say that Lineker’s “recent social media activity [was considered] to be a breach of our guidelines” and the presenter should “keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies”.

 

After it was confirmed Lineker would not be appearing on Match Of The Day later today (March 11), his fellow presenters Ian Wright and Alan Shearer announced they would not be appearing, in “solidarity” with Lineker.

Regular contributors Jermaine Jenas, Micah Richards and Alex Scott have also said they wouldn’t be appearing.

Last night, Fatboy Slim played a gig at Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse and publicly threw his support behind Lineker.

During the set, he displayed Lineker’s face on the video screen behind him to huge cheers from the crowd. Images of Prince and Greta Thunberg were also displayed.

Sharing footage of the moment on social media afterwards, Fatboy Slim said: “Enough Respect. I’m With Gary.”

 

Tonight’s Match Of The Day will now “focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry” following the Lineker fallout.

Earlier this year, Fatboy Slim revealed that he wishes he never met his hero, David Bowie.

“I was just deflated,” Cook explained of the moment before adding that the legendary star was “perfectly civil” but just seemed “unimpressed” by the DJ.

“Most of the people who you love are lovely really and the bigger they are the lovelier they tend to be. They don’t need to prove their ego or that they’re cleverer than you,” he added. “The big ones are just really nice people.”

Speaking to NME last year, Fat Boy Slim shared an anecdote from his time living next door to Paul McCartney.

The post Fatboy Slim shares support for Gary Lineker following BBC suspension appeared first on NME.