Saturday’s episode of Match of the Day lasted “just 20 minutes” – with no presenter, pundits, commentary or interviews – after the fallout from the decision to take Gary Lineker off air forced the BBC into a heavily limited highlights programme.
Ahead of the show starting, a continuity announcer said: “Now on BBC One, we’re sorry that we’re unable to show our normal Match Of The Day including commentary tonight.”
The news comes as BBC director general Tim Davie confirmed that he will not resign over the Gary Lineker row, labelling Mr Lineker “the best in the business” in conversation with the BBC’s Nomia Iqbal.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has commented on the controversy surrounding the BBC’s decision to take Gary Lineker off air, saying it is “a matter for them, not the government”.
Lineker has been embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.
