Fighting Talk not broadcast in support of Gary Lineker
BBC Radio 5 Live's sports-based panel game Fighting Talk was not aired today, seemingly in support of Gary Lineker following his suspension from Match Of The Day.
The long-running show, currently hosted by Colin Murray and broadcast live, was due to air in its normal 11am slot with guests Bob Mills, presenter Reece Parkinson, sprinter Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and ex-badminton player Gail Emms. However, instead the episode was replaced with an edited version of Kammy & Ben's Proper Football Podcast with Chris Kamara and Ben Shephard.
Murray wrote on Twitter: "No @FightingTalk316 today, for obvious reasons. In the interest of transparency, this was a decision taken by the entire FT team and myself."
He jokingly added: "Bob Mills was still up for it, to be fair ;)"
Lineker was suspended by the BBC yesterday after he was found to have breached the corporation's guidelines on impartiality, following remarks he made about new immigration legislation, which he compared to 1930s Germany.
The resulting suspension has resulted in many BBC sports presenters siding with Lineker and refusing to work in protest at his suspension. As a result of the boycott, tonight's Match Of The Day is scheduled to air without pundits or commentary. Meanwhile, Football Focus, which normally airs at noon on Saturdays, was replaced with a repeat of Bargain Hunt and results programme Final Score, due on air at 16:30, will be replaced by The Repair Shop.
One of the few comedy programmes on BBC Radio 5 Live, Fighting Talk began in 2003 and is currently in the middle of its 20th series. Last month Murray, who recently took over the job of permanent host of Countdown, announced he would be leaving the show, having been its longest-serving host. Over the years, others to fill the role have included Johnny Vaughan, Christian O'Connell, Matt Johnson, Jonathan Pearce, Josh Widdicombe and Georgie Ainslie.