What is going on at the BBC right now?

[LookItsMeAgain]

What with the news breaking today ( 10/03/23) that Lineker is to step back from presenting Match of the Day and now Ian Wright is also not going to appear on the show in solidarity. They also have said that they will not air a David Attenborough (what the hell did he do/say that pushed their buttons) episode due to fears of a right-wing backlash. On top of that, Fiona Bruce has said that Stanley Johnson 'only' broke his wife's nose once (I mean just how many times is too many, I ask ye).

What the hell is going on at the BBC right now????

Sources:
David Attenborough being cancelled
Gary Lineker stepping back from MotD
Ian Wright standing by Gary
Fiona Bruce story

Just wondering if anyone can make sense of what is going on in the BBC at the moment.

British people....British values ....

What is wrong with saying ‘British people’ and ‘British values’ when you are a politician in Britain? In France they say ‘French values’ all the time, are they right wing racists?

Marine le Pen ? By their speech shall ye know them.

Yes it's almost as if folk of all leanings can understand he should not tweet this offensive crap about '1930s Germany'. He is so out of his depth.

He needs to maybe go for a lie down on a sunbed for a bit and have some more teeth whitening. Stuff he looks more familiar with.

Do you think this government is left wing? No, don’t be ridiculous.

Authoritarian because look what they’ve done to the BBC, they’re making it harder to vote, they’re trying to stop teachers talking about politics in schools (!), they are massive control freaks when it comes to running the government, and placing their cronies on the boards of public bodies.

Yes it would be funny if it wasn't so very pathetic.

If you place the British people on one side and asylum seekers on the other, it implies that asylum seekers can never become British. Which is bollocks.

that is the problem.

😆😆😆🤔

One empire, one people, one leader.

I find it quite interesting, that those that dont like what Gary Linekar says, refuse to actually engage with criticism of this government’s asylum policy…..

Instead they make personal remarks about his appearance.

Hmmmm.

I'm ambivalent about Gary Lineker, but I don't see why non-news BBC presenters can't speak their opinions, provided they make it clear they are doing so in a private capacity.

I do wonder, however, if those supporting Lineker would still back him if he had tweeted vociferously in favour of the government's migration schemes or had said something as benign as 'women do not have penises'? I'm guessing there would just be a different, and probably louder, contingent calling for him to be silent or be sacked. There's a lot of hypocritical partisanship on the issue of free speech.

@letthemalldoone why are you so incensed by him ? How does it affect you ?
I guess what you don't like is the fact that he's a vocal remainer and critic of the tories. He's got a huge following and can influence a certain section of the electorate.
Of course Tory MPs and their acolytes are gunning for him.

I agree with Lineker. Am I allowed to exercise my freedom of speech to say that I think Suella Braverman is a foul cunt? Because IMO she absolutely is.

The Attenborough "thing" isn't even a thing though. It's an extra episode not connected to the series, but commissioned at the same time, and it will be available on iPlayer. Hardly something to get worked up about.

It’s ridiculous. Let’s keep things in perspective. Saudi Arabia have a right wing government. We do not. We have firm LGB rights, a generous welfare state, free healthcare, there are no rights women are deprived of, a good justice system, relatively high taxes…I could go on. Comparing us to countries where women have no rights, where there is no free healthcare, and no welfare state, is frankly insulting to the people who suffer under them.

We are only ‘right wing’ by the standard of the left wing in this country, not at all when you consider the U.K. in a global context. Frankly, those left wingers aren’t bright enough for objective thinking.

For once, cancel culture has swung the other way and people are up in arms about it? People on the right, saying benign comments have been getting cancelled left, right and centre for ages. Seems only fair to me?

He's an extremely highly paid presenter, working for a impartial broadcaster - and he's anything but impartial. He has a contract and he's not sticking to it. He's welcome to have his views and work elsewhere.

Comparing the migrant crisis to nazi Germany is also highly diminishing to Jews and the holocaust.

Maybe start another thread about the Government's policies? This one is about the BBCs reactions to Lineker's offensive and highly inappropriate tweets.

The problem is that the treatment of GL is inconsistent.

It is ok to tweet stuff which agrees with the government, but not criticism? There are plenty of BBC stars who have done the former. Nothing has happened.

That is the problem. I’m amazed you can’t see it.

think it was pretty obvious that GL was expressing his own views and not that of the BBC 🤣👍

I posted the link @Believeitornot as I agree with you!

I find GL quite irritating, not because of his political views, but because I think he is unbearably smug. I also find a lot of the other ex-player presenters to be the same. In person they may be lovely for all I know. However I think the BBC have shot themselves in the foot here. As others have said GL is not involved in news reporting/policy. He should be entitled to express his views. If viewers don't like it then don't watch him. There are plenty of channels to watch football on. This whole fiasco would have blown over by now if it had been ignored and the BBC simply said that GL's views are his own.

In any event if this shower of a government had a decent immigration policy and dealt with asylum applications in a timely way instead of taking years and also had a decent border force who ensured that criminals who have been deported do not return to the UK then the small boat problem would probably never have arisen. That however is another thread.

It wasn't that long ago the BBC were being accused of being left wing and anti-Tory. This is always going to be an issue when you have a broadcaster dependent on government funding.

Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have now joined Ian Wright in refusing to take part in Match of the Day.

Tip of the iceberg...

I think it is relevant.

People are frothing because they know he’s showing them up for what they are.

Why not just come out and say it? You agree with Suella Braverman and her 100 million invasion nonsense 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's not lucrative enough.

Yes! 👍

Ooh let’s see if the left wingers hold you to the same standard now and call you a misogynist for calling a woman such a vile sexist slur!

think it does 🤷🏼‍♀️ Football fans are not known for their love of immigration are they?

@Moonicorn what an idiotic thing to say. As well as ignorant and bigoted.