The row left the BBC chair, Richard Sharp, fighting for his future as Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt both stopped short of backing him to guard the corporation's impartiality in the wake of the row.
The director general, Tim Davie, jetted back from the US for crisis talks before an internal meeting today that one source in the corporation predicted would be "carnage" without a breakthrough on Lineker's suspension from Match of the Day.
Another senior source said talks were "moving but not there yet" in an attempt to end the standoff with the star, who was taken off air after his tweet condemning Sunak's new migration bill - leading to an extraordinary exodus of high-profile presenters and commentators.
The controversy has left the BBC facing its most serious crisis in years. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have said Sharp's position has become untenable because he is himself compromised on impartiality grounds - having made introductions between Boris Johnson and a friend who gave the former prime minister a loan guarantee.
The former chancellor George Osborne said Sharp's only hope of staying in post was brokering an end to the standoff between the BBC and Lineker. Osborne said Lineker "should help the BBC find a ladder down which to climb" but added: "Personally, I think some of the language used on immigration by some Conservatives - not all - is not acceptable."
This story is from the March 13, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 13, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Beaumont may step in at RFU if Ilube quits over pay fiasco
Sir Bill Beaumont could be parachuted into the Rugby Football Union as interim chair in the event Tom Ilube falls on his sword amid the botched handling of the executive pay scandal engulfing the game.
'An exciting new era' Everton owners promise return to glory days after £500m deal
The Friedkin Group vowed to restore Everton to their \"rightful place in the Premier League table\" after completing a takeover that brought the turbulent era of Farhad Moshiri to an end.
Friedkin Group brings hope of much-needed stability and ambition
The Friedkin Group's takeover of Everton represents a momentous day for those exhausted and resigned to calamity by the tenure of Farhad Moshiri.
A humble Hamilton hero who was born to score
Ex-coaches in New Zealand on Chris Wood's rise from selfless schoolboy to poster boy at Nottingham Forest
Solanke puts Spurs through despite Forster's blunders
Like a song that changes time signature for the hell of it, like a friend that inexplicably blanks you, like a match report that noodles away for ages instead of just telling you what happened, Tottenham Hotspur remain medically incapable of doing things the simple way.
“The World Cup loss fuelled a fire in me to become the best’
Ellie Kildunne's infectious enthusiasm for the women's game has her dreaming of a Twickenham final in 2025
'Usyk is fighting for his country': Dubois tips Fury to lose rematch
Daniel Dubois, the IBF world heavyweight champion, believes that Oleksandr Usyk will again defeat Tyson Fury in Riyadh tomorrow night.
Coe pledges radical reform in bid for IOC presidency
Sebastian Coe has promised to radically transform the International Olympic Committee if he is elected its next president in March - and says his track record of delivering at the London 2012 Games and at World Athletics shows he is the right choice for the leading job in sport.
Football's new fetish Forget Nicolas Jover and stylish set-piece coaches, bring on the directors of vibes
It's 25 October 2012. Those of you who follow the Austrian regional leagues won't need reminding.
Rush to start work caused enormous cost overruns, says new boss of HS2
Enormous budget overruns on the HS2 high-speed railway have been blamed by its new chief executive on a \"rush to start\", as the Department for Transport admitted it did not know what the line would cost.
