Awkward Gary Lineker debate on HIGNFY leaves viewers furious 'Defund the BBC!'

Have I Got News For You viewers were left unimpressed as the show aired a segment about 's sudden exit from the BBC. The Match of the Day pundit was already set to leave the broadcaster, but had originally planned to present the 2026 World Cup. But after sparking controversy with a post about Israel-Gaza, and announced he was leaving sooner than planned, with Sunday May 26 being his last show on MOTD.

Victoria Coren Mitchell, who was hosting, asked the panel: "Speaking of crisps, who has just been sacked?"

Ian Hislop said: "Gary Lineker. He has left the BBC after retweeting an offensive antisemitic tweet from someone else about Israel and Gaza, and having become famous for saying the government had used the language of the 1930s in German, he failed to spot one of the big things they did in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and that was to refer to Jews as rats. So he retweeted a picture of a rat. And he understandably had to resign."

Loose Women presenter Janet Street-Porter added: "I just think, I'm sure he is a decent guy, but to retweet something like that on that subject without being ultra careful what you are retweeting, is stupid."

Ian replied: "Things aren't always black and white, you have to be careful with the nuance, which obviously I always am and never get into any trouble ever."

Comedian Chris McCausland agreed: "People can be very anti-BBC, and will look for any reason to have a go at them, but if you had a footballer tweet something that made the team look bad, these people would be let go. "

The conversation sparked a mixed response from viewers, as one raged: "What a disgrace the BBC are. Can clearly see the people on #HIGNFY want to actually speak their mind but are forced to a script re Gaza & Gary Lineker #DefundtheBBC."

One said: "I don't know why I expected different but the blanket condemnation of Gary Lineker by #hignfy was really really ugly."

A third chimed in: "Whole panel not showing Lineker any respect there, surprised at Ian Hislop, not exactly speaking truth to power," as a fourth responded: "Don't be surprised at hislop. He's always picked his battles very carefully."

But a fifth penned: "#HIGNFY on fire tonight totally destroying Lineker!"

Have I Got News For You airs Fridays at 9am on BBC1.