Football legend and BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker has announced he will be missing the FA Cup fifth round draw after losing his voice. The former England striker revealed on Twitter that he had been “silenced by a bug”, leaving him unable to perform his duties. Lineker, who has been a familiar face on Match of the Day for over two decades, is renowned for his trademark wry humour and anecdotes, and fans will be disappointed to miss out on his commentary for the upcoming draw. As Lineker recovers from his illness, fans and colleagues alike will be eagerly awaiting his return to the commentary box.
Gary Lineker, a former footballer and now a sports presenter, will no longer be presenting the FA Cup quarter-final coverage on Sunday due to losing his voice. This comes after Lineker returned to BBC football shows on Saturday, following an impartiality row with the BBC. Alex Scott will instead present the Brighton vs. Grimsby game. Lineker’s voice was noticed to have deteriorated and struggled during Saturday’s coverage of the Manchester City vs. Burnley game.
On Monday, the BBC announced an independent review of its social media guidelines, specifically for freelancers like Lineker, who had been taken off air for breaking social media guidelines. Last weekend’s Match of the Day was broadcast without presenters or commentary and was only 20 minutes long, after many of Lineker’s BBC Sport colleagues walked out in solidarity with him.
Lineker’s row with the BBC followed a critical tweet he sent on the government’s asylum policy, describing it as an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s.”
Although Lineker returned to TV screens for Saturday’s quarter-final, he clarified on Twitter that he was never going to present Match of the Day this weekend, with Mark Chapman taking on that role instead. BBC director general Tim Davie has promised to review the corporation’s impartiality guidelines to include freelance staff, acknowledging the “grey areas.”
In conclusion, it’s a real shame to hear that Gary Lineker won’t be able to host the FA Cup show due to losing his voice. Lineker has been a staple of sports broadcasting for years, and his expertise and charming personality have made him a fan favorite. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on our screens soon. In the meantime, the show must go on, and we look forward to seeing who will step in to fill Lineker’s shoes. Thank you for tuning in and stay tuned for more updates on the world of sports.
