Gary Lineker row goes to heart of BBC reputation - Ofcom boss

The BBC impartiality enactment with Gary Lineker goes "straight to the heart" of the broadcaster's wider reputation, Ofcom's main enforcement has said.

Dame Melanie Dawes told MPs it "hasn't been a large weekend" for BBC Sport fans aft sum was pulled disconnected air.

She told a committee she hoped the BBC could determination beyond this episode.

Lineker volition instrumentality to Match of the Day aft helium was taken disconnected aerial implicit a tweet criticising the government's caller asylum policy.

BBC manager wide Tim Davie said an autarkic reappraisal of societal media guidelines would beryllium carried retired and helium denied accusations that the BBC had backed down.

Speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee connected Tuesday, Dame Melanie said: "Clearly an occurrence similar this goes consecutive to the bosom of that wider estimation beyond their quality and existent affairs coverage."

She told MPs it was close the BBC was reviewing its societal media guidelines, adding: "There is ambiguity successful there, I deliberation that was astir apt designed to springiness a grade of flexibility… but it didn't execute what they wanted."

She said determination needed to beryllium "very strict rules" for quality presenters, but said it was a "slightly antithetic question" erstwhile it comes to different contributors, including freelancers and actors.

"I deliberation they request to beryllium weighing state of look alongside the wider estimation they person for impartiality," she said.

"It is for the BBC committee to safeguard the estimation of the BBC, including for impartiality, and to measurement each that successful the balance."

She added that she didn't deliberation it would beryllium "straightforward" and that Ofcom, which is the BBC's regulator, has nary relation successful mounting interior guidelines but tin connection advice.

The enactment began past week when, successful a tweet, Lineker said the government's caller Illegal Migration Bill was an "immeasurably cruel policy" and said the connection utilized astir it was "not dissimilar to that utilized by Germany successful the 30s".

His words were criticised by Conservative ministers, including the location secretary.

Lineker was told connected Friday to measurement backmost from presenting Match of the Day until an statement was reached, triggering an unprecedented question of walkouts from chap pundits and commentators successful solidarity.

In the aftermath of the row, Lineker has questioned Twitter proprietor Elon Musk aft a threatening connection was sent to his eldest son, George, which said helium should beryllium "burned astatine the stake" for his nationalist enactment of his father.