BBC Sport shows pulled from schedule in aftermath of Gary Lineker comments
The BBC removed Football Focus and Final Score from their schedule at the last moment, further disrupting the company’s sporting schedule.
Football Focus was scheduled to air at midday, but Bargain Hunt played in its slot while The Repair Shop was scheduled to air at 4.30pm instead of Final Score.
It has also been reported that BBC Radio 5 Live will be affected as presenter Mark Chapman appears not to be hosting Live Sport and Fighting Talk.
It comes as scores of sports presenters and pundits have withdrawn from BBC shows after Gary Lineker was told to retire from hosting Match Of The Day for reasons of impartiality.
Lineker did not answer reporters’ questions as he left his home in south-west London on Saturday morning.
His son Harry later told reporters he was on his way to catch Leicester’s game against Chelsea.
As he left to walk the dog, he said: “He went to Leicester to watch the game. He will be back tonight.”
Former Arsenal star and England player Alex Scott wrote on Twitter: “I made a decision last night that even though I love my show and we’ve had an incredible week we’ve had a decision it doesn’t feel right for me to go having won an SJA for soccer focus ahead with the show today.
“Hopefully I’ll be back in the chair next week.”
Kelly Somers also confirmed she will not present a BBC show on Saturday, after former England footballers Alan Shearer and Ian Wright announced on Friday night that they were boycotting MOTD in solidarity with Lineker.
Expert Glenn Murray withdrew from his appearance on Football Focus and Final Score on Saturday.
The former Brighton striker tweeted: “I was supposed to be in Media City today but thinking about it last night I felt it was the right thing to do today to step down from Focus & Score.
“I hope that normal service will resume next week.”
Welsh presenter Jason Mohammad also confirmed he would not be hosting Final Score by tweeting: “As you know Final Score is a TV show that is very close to my heart.
“However, I informed the BBC this morning that I will not be presenting the show on BBC One this afternoon.”
On Friday night, several match-of-the-day commentators released a joint statement online announcing they were stepping down from Saturday’s broadcast.
The BBC show is set to take place on Saturday night without a presenter, pundits and several regular commentators.
It comes after Lineker, 62, was taken off the air for a tweet comparing the language used to introduce a new government asylum-seekers policy to 1930s Germany.
The channel said it “decided” that Lineker would take a break from presenting the highlight program until an “consensual and clear position” on its use of social media was reached.