Gary Lineker, the England soccer great-turned-media celebrity, will leave his role as a presenter for the BBC after facing criticism for reposting an Instagram story about Zionism which featured a picture of a rat.
The 64-year-old Lineker, who is the British national broadcaster's highest-paid presenter on about 1.3 million pounds 1.7 million a year, was set to leave flagship soccer highlights show "Match of the Day" at the end of this season but remain with the BBC to front other soccer coverage, including next year's men's World Cup.
However, the BBC said Monday in a statement that Lineker will step down entirely from the corporation after the final "Match of the Day" episode next weekend in the wake of his decision to share a post from the group, Palestine Lobby, illustrated with a picture of a rat, titled: "Zionism explained in two minutes."
Rats, linked to disease and dirt, have been used to represent Jews in antisemitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazis in 1930s Germany.
"Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made," BBC director-general Tim Davie said. "Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season."