Gary Lineker has made a joke during the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup coverage today after a row over his comments regarding a Gaza TV documentary.
Campaginers claimed this week that the former footballer is “becoming the emblem of all that is wrong with the BBC” after he called on the corporation to republish what critics describe as a Hamas “propaganda film”.
During half time of the match between Manchester United and Fulham this afternoon, Mr Lineker introduced a new trailer for the next series of Doctor Who.
He said: “I’m looking forward to this bit. The second half will be on the way shortly.
“But first, something’s made its way onto out desk. I wonder what this does.”
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The retired striker then pointed a device resembling the iconic hero’s sonic screwdriver, and an effect blurred him.
After the sneak peek had been shown, the programme returned to the studio at Old Trafford.
The Match of the Day host then took the opportunity to make a joke.
He said: “So that’s what it does – makes me dissappear. That’ll please a few. Don’t worry, I haven’t regenerated yet.”
Lineker, 64, is one of 500 signatories of a letter asking the BBC to re-air Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone on iPlayer, calling it an “essential piece of journalism”.
It was revealed last week that the film, aired on BBC2 on February 17, was narrated by 14-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri, who is the son of Hamas’ deputy agriculture minister Ayman Al-Yazouri.
The broadcaster pulled the 59-minute doc from BBC iPlayer on February 21, and said it would not reappear until it had conducted “due diligence” with the production company.
Mr Lineker has signed as letter, along with actress Miriam Margolyes, director Ken Loach, Bridgerton star India Amarteifio, and others media figures, accusing critics of the documentary of making “racist assumptions” about Palestinians.
Lineker also ended up in hot water in 2023 by suggesting that a Government plan to ban people arriving in the UK illegally from ever claiming asylum was an “immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.