Gary Lineker hits out at ‘anti-BBC agenda’ as he shows reality of his ‘luxury’ Qatar home | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Gary Lineker, 62, has shared the realities of his “luxury” Qatar accommodation after he saw an article surface claiming he, alongside Rio Ferdinand and Alex Scott, were staying in Doha apartments costing £2,500 a night. The Match of the Day presenter hit out at the “anti-BBC agenda” while also showing off the realities of his “luxury” World Cup accommodation.
Gary has been in Doha leading the BBC’s coverage of the Qatar World Cup, with it being reported that he alongside other BBC pundits was staying in luxury apartments.
The Match of the Day presenter has shared a screenshot of the article from Rio in view of his 8.6 million followers along with a furious statement.
He said: “They just completely make s*** up. It cost the BBC a small fraction of that price. The landscaped terrace is basically a small bush.
“We’re surrounded by motorways in the middle of nowhere. Lots of Brits live in the building.
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“Homosexuality is illegal here, women’s rights and freedom of expression are in the spotlight.
“Also, the decision six years ago to switch the World Cup from summer to winter.
“Against that backdrop, there’s a tournament to be played. One that will be watched and enjoyed around the world. ‘Stick to football’, says FIFA. Well, we will, for a couple of minutes at least.”
The BBC has since revealed that there were just shy of 1,500 complaints flooded in following the speech, amid claims that it was too tough on Qatar.
A statement from the British broadcaster acknowledged that some had taken issue with the coverage, adding that they have a “proven record of addressing topical issues as part of our coverage”.
One of the major ethical issues in Qatar has centred around the OneLove campaign, which involved seven European nations planning to wear a rainbow-coloured armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
FIFA urged participants to adopt their own armband campaign instead, which was less explicit in its association with the LGBTQ+ community.
England was set to wear the OneLove campaign bands but had to pull out at the last minute to FIFA threatening the captains with an immediate yellow card.
