Britain’s BBC agrees star soccer host Gary Lineker can return to air after impartiality dispute - CNBC

Gary Lineker's tweets and the BBC's response caused public backlash and a weekend of disrupted sports programing as fellow presenters walked out in protest.

LONDON — The BBC, Britain's public service broadcaster, agreed on Monday that star soccer presenter Gary Lineker can return to air and pledged to hold a review of its social media guidance after an impartiality dispute.

Davie said the broadcaster would launch "a review led by an independent expert – reporting to the BBC – on its existing social media guidance, with a particular focus on how it applies to freelancers outside news and current affairs."

The BBC's response led to walkouts among Lineker's colleagues, including Ian Wright, Alan Shearer and Alex Scott, which disrupted sports programing across Saturday and Sunday.

The U.K. government posted a video of Interior Minister Suella Braverman outlining the new Illegal Migration Bill designed to prevent people from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

The remarks led to a whirlwind of responses across social media, prompting Lineker to post a follow-up tweet describing the bill as: "Immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s."