Gary Lineker ‘uncomfortable’ over salary being released as he admits 'love‑hate relationship' with BBC

The retired footballer divided opinion when he compared the policy to language “used by Germany in the 30s”.

Lineker claims some at the BBC have a "love‑hate relationship" with the broadcaster and it can be a "rocky ride" at times.

Talking about being the BBC’s highest-paid presenter, he told The Guardian: “It’s a difficult one because of the licence fee, but we should push what great value we offer.

“That’s hard because you get the ‘we pay your wages’ thing and nowadays they publish the salaries and I’m at the top of that.

“That does make me uncomfortable. I’m in a genre that pays really well, that delivers the biggest audiences, where people fight for your services.”

He went on to admit that he can’t justify his salary compared to vital professions, such as nurses, but also said that this argument is slightly redundant.

“I’m unique in presenting having played at the top level and worked really hard to get here," he added.

“But can I justify my salary against a nurse? No. Obviously not. That’s not how it works, though.

“Could I have earned more elsewhere? Absolutely. But I’ve always loved working with the BBC.

“It’s a rocky ride because of the love‑hate relationship some have with the corporation.”

Lineker refused to “back down” after sparking the impartiality row with the BBC over his Twitter post.

“When the new social media guidelines were brought in, I said fine, but we agreed I would not stop occasionally tweeting about two issues in particular: climate change and refugees," he told Men’s Health UK.

“I wasn’t prepared to back down on that, especially as I felt and still feel that what I tweeted was fair and true.”