Gary Lineker 'needed to be saved from himself' as BBC icon lifts lid on problems

Steve Rider is nearing retirement after a 45-year broadcasting career, in which he spent almost two decades at the BBC. Before his final farewell, the veteran presenter has weighed in on Gary Lineker's high-profile exit from the corporation without biting his tongue.

Lineker left the BBC early following backlash after he shared a pro-Palestine post on his Instagram story amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. His post contained an image of a rat, which has been used to represent the Jewish community as vermin in anti-semitic propaganda throughout history. Lineker quickly deleted the video and apologised, expressing his regret and insisting he was unaware of the "offensive references".

But his latest social media controversy ultimately set the wheels rolling for his BBC departure at the end of the 2024/25 football season after a 26-year partnership.

Rider and Lineker share a rocky past. After the former returned to the Beeb from ITV, he had been replaced by the latter as the face of golf.

A decade later, Rider publicly stated: "Most other observers knew that Gary was the wrong man in the wrong job."

The pair reportedly haven't spoken since those remarks, and the 75-year-old has now reacted to the BBC's decision to axe Lineker.

"To put forward his opinions so energetically, you need to step outside the framework of the BBC," Rider told the Telegraph.

"That message was never convincingly conveyed to him by the BBC, and that's where they are at fault.

"He needed people looking after him before he pressed the button on some fairly volatile retweets. He needed to be saved from himself. So, there was a kind of inevitability about it."

Rider most recently helmed ITV's coverage of the British Touring Car Championship before hanging up the mic for good on Sunday.

He started his career at ITV before serving as the BBC's lead golf presenter, hosting major tournaments, including the Masters and the Ryder Cup.

Throughout his illustrious stint as a presenter, he also presented coverage of the Champions League, the Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup.

Rider also famously covered F1 at the time of Ayrton Senna's tragic death at Imola in 1994.

Despite his BBC departure, Lineker is still very much involved in the broadcasting world through his podcast business.

He hosts his own football podcast named 'The Rest is Football' alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, but his plans for a TV return are yet to be confirmed.