Gary Lineker has “apologised unreservedly” after he was accused of sharing a post to Instagram which featured an “antisemitic” rat emoji.
In the apology, he said: “I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views.”
The BBC has been facing growing calls to sack Lineker over the post.
Now-deleted footage on Lineker’s Instagram story sparked fury among Jewish groups, as historically, rats have been used to represent Jews in anti-Semitic imagery.
The outgoing Match of the Day presenter, shared a post by campaign group Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, titled: "Zionism explained in two minutes."
Lineker had said he “did not notice” a rodent emoji attached to the video.
Lineker’s agent told the BBC the presenter immediately deleted the post when he learned about the image’s historical connotations.
In a later full apology given to the PA news agency Lineker said: “On Instagram I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references.
“I very much regret these references.
“I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic.
“It goes against everything I believe in.
“The post was removed as soon as I became aware of the issue.
“Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters.
“I take full responsibility for this mistake.”"That image does not reflect my views.
"It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.”
Rats, linked to disease and dirt, have been used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
Campaign Against Antisemitism, has said it will be submitting a formal complaint to the BBC over the post.
The charity believes his position as a presenter at the BBC is now “untenable” and has backed calls for him to be sacked.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: ”Having looked the other way until now, at this point, it is clear that Gary Lineker’s continued association with the BBC is untenable. He must go.
“Mr Lineker really has the worst luck when it comes to campaigning for his causes without aligning himself with extremists and anti-Semites.
“Not only does this video deliberately misrepresent Zionism — the belief that Jews have the same right to self-determination as everyone else — but it adds a rat emoji in doing so.
“Perhaps Mr Lineker is not as naïve or accident-prone as he might like us to believe.
“As the BBC’s highest-paid presenter and owner of a major media enterprise, maybe he knows exactly what he’s doing. We will be submitting a complaint to the BBC over this latest post. “
Lineker will be leaving Match of the Day at the end of the Premier League season later this month, but will continue to present FA Cup and international football until next summer.
When approached for comment by The Standard, the BBC said it could not comment on individual cases and referred to its guidance on personal use of social media.
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said they felt “the BBC should ask him to leave now rather than allowing him to dictate his own terms” according to the Daily Mail.
This is not the first time Lineker has faced criticism over his social media posts.
In March 2023 he was suspended from the BBC after comparing the language used to launch a then-government asylum seeker policy to 1930s Germany.
In April this year, Lineker said he did not regret the comments made and told BBC’s Amol Rajan that he had the right to share his opinion on issues including Gaza.
Earlier this year, Lineker signed an open letter to the BBC, calling on it to reinstate a documentary called Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone which was pulled after it emerged that a boy who featured in the documentary was the son of a Hamas official.
Lineker, who makes around £1.35million each year, has been a Match of The Day host since 1999.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the director general of the BBC said people need to follow the broadcaster's social media rules when asked about the row involving the latest Lineker post.
Tim Davie, after giving a wide-ranging speech, speaking of trust, disinformation and impartiality, was asked if Lineker had broken the BBC's rules.
Speaking at The Lowry arts centre in Salford, Mr Davie said: "The BBC's reputation is held by everyone and when someone makes a mistake, it costs us.
"And I think we absolutely need people to be the exemplars of BBC values and follow our social media policies, simple as that."
