Two former BBC workers ended up in a fiery debate on GB News today as they discussed Gary Lineker's political tweets.
The sports presenter has landed himself in hot water a few times for breaching impartiality guidelines and the former England striker recently revisited the row over his tweet last year about Suella Braverman's small boat policy - when he compared the language used to launch the policy to that of Nazi Germany.
Talking about his recent interview on GB News today, former BBC presenter Danny Kelly said: "I love Gary Lineker, the footballer. He played for Everton, he scored 40 goals in one season.
"I don't like Gary Lineker the political activist and Gary Lineker at the Hay Festival said how much he loves the BBC. Well, I can tell you, Lineker, the BBC, it's not reciprocal."
The pair entered into a heated debate
GB News
He added: "When I was at the BBC, plenty of people on the shop floor in the newsroom were very wary of what was coming next out of Gary's Twitter feed.
"Because Lineker is a multi-millionaire, he's doing more damage to the future of the licence fee than any potential organisation trying to defend the licence fee. I wish he'd rein it in. I wish you'd think of the 18,000 people whose jobs and livelihoods depend on the licence fee."
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Jo Philips, who has worked alongside the BBC, disagreed with Kelly and claimed that "I'd say that's absolute cobblers.
"Frankly, I don't think it's putting the licence fee at risk at all. Don't forget, if you put this in context, Gary Lineker was talking at the Hay Festival this week and he was talking about the tweets and what led to his suspension from broadcasting a year ago.
"He wasn't tweeting today. He talked about why he goes on social media. I mean, I don't, but other people do. And I'm sure people do it for the same reasons that Gary Lineker does.
"He's entitled to his opinion. He's a sports presenter. He's not a news presenter. If you don't like what he says, that's fine. If you like what he says about football and his commentary, that's fine too. But the idea that this is putting people's jobs or the BBC at risk is absolute nonsense."
Gary Lineker is known for his controversial tweets
PAKelly shot back: "This lady is right. It's about free speech and he's allowed to do it.
"But what isn't cobblers is how BBC staff feel about Lineker and whether the lady thinks that it's nonsense that Gary Lineker is somehow single-handedly going to destroy the future of the licence fee."
He later added: "So it might be cobblers to this lady, but it's not cobblers to the vast majority."
Philips fumed back: "My name's Joe. Yes. Joe Phillips, I say hello, let's not refer to that lady or she.
Danny Kelly said that he is putting peoples jobs at risk
GB News
"I don't think you should make claims about how other people might feel about Gary Lineker when he is not here to defend himself.
"I quite clearly that there are guidelines that the BBC has drawn up. And Gary Lineker was involved in the redrafting of the guidelines on social media."
At the Hay Festival in Powys, the Match of The Day presenter said: "I think it is a great shame, what happened because it pretty much pitched me against the BBC. I love the BBC."
