Gary Lineker has launched a scathing attack on his former employer, the BBC, just six weeks after stepping down from his presenting duties on Match of the Day.
The attack comes after the corporation's controversial decision to permanently shelve 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack', a documentary presenting an investigation into the impact of Israeli military operations on Gaza's healthcare system.
Speaking at a London screening on Thursday, July 3rd, Lineker didn't hold back. Visibly emotional, he described the documentary as "one of the most important films I’ve ever seen, certainly the most moving."
"It needed to be seen. It really did need to be seen," Lineker declared.
"I think the BBC should hold its head in shame. I’ve worked for the corporation for 30 years; to see the way it’s declined in the last year or two has been devastating."
“The BBC should hang its head in shame,” says football legend Gary Lineker after watching ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’, the urgent and vital documentary the BBC refused to air.@GaryLineker pic.twitter.com/nigVcHKuh0
— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) July 4, 2025
The documentary film includes allegations of targeting, abuse, imprisonment, and mistreatment of healthcare workers by Israeli forces, claims Israel denies.
Produced by Basement Films, the documentary was initially greenlit by the BBC over a year ago. But despite its powerfully emotive content, it was abruptly and permanently shelved on June 20. The BBC's official line was that broadcasting it "risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect."
Predictably, this controversial decision instantly sparked an uproar from over 600 public figures, including British director Mike Leigh and Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon.
Lineker pointed the finger higher up. "The problem is they’re bowing to pressure from the top, and this is a worry." Complicity is something that will come to many."
The film, snubbed by the BBC, was acquired by Channel 4 and aired to the nation on Wednesday, July 2nd.
Louisa Compton, Channel 4’s Head of News, has spoken out on the subject of impartiality: "We believe there are times when the same risk is run by not showing anything at all."
Lineker's abrupt exit from Match Of The Day after hosting for 26 years followed a separate storm of impartiality rows.
In May 2025, he shared an Instagram story from Palestine Lobby explaining Zionism with a rat emoji, a symbol historically associated with antisemitism. He promptly deleted and apologised, saying he was unaware of the connotation, but the incident reignited tensions with the broadcaster and resulting in his departure.
