Claire Holt on why exits matter

They think it’s all over – it is now… Gary Lineker is set to confirm he’s leaving the BBC.

Lineker’s been a master of his craft for decades. He’s one of the rare ex-footballing pros who has transitioned into broadcasting with such polish that I had to remind my children this weekend that he was one of England’s greatest-ever strikers, not just a presenter.

But Lineker’s public profile has never been just about football. His views – political and often polarising – have become as much a part of his identity as Match of the Day. That’s his right of course. And while he isn’t a news anchor, increasingly, those views have become the story.

Last week he had to delete a post on Zionism. He clashed publicly with the BBC after criticising government asylum policy – a standoff that led to his suspension and a mass walkout by colleagues in solidarity. And while that moment was eventually defused, it marked a turning point for him and the Beeb.

From that moment, Lineker became a kind of litmus test for the Corporation’s handling of impartiality, talent management and hashtag#brand risk.

Match of the Day is an institution. It will survive Lineker’s departure, just as it did Des Lynam’s. But his exit still matters – not least because it reflects a deeper challenge facing the BBC in an increasingly fractured media landscape.

Audiences are fragmented. Trust is fragile. Talent is its own brand. And as presenters grow huge followings, build businesses, and speak directly to millions of fans, they no longer rely on the BBC for relevance. That balance of power has well and truly shifted.

So, this weekend’s Match of the Day will be our Gary’s last. And with 8.7 million followers on Twitter, a thriving podcast business, and the freedom to speak without institutional handcuffs, it’s easy to see why he’s off.

He won’t be the last high-profile departure to test the BBC’s identity. I've written before about the many challenges its had with handling reputational crises - Huw Edwards et al.

The real challenge lies in how it handles stars with similar reach, views, and influence that are not aligned to its traditional (and perhaps stuffy?) modus operandi. It has to find a way to balance their star power with the inevitable unpredictability that comes with it.

Ultimately this about what kind of broadcaster the BBC wants to be – and whether it can continue to hold its place at the heart of national life in a world where brand loyalty is shifting - and fast.