LONDON: Former BBC presenter and football star Gary Lineker said the broadcaster “should hold its head in shame” after deciding not to show a documentary on medics working in Gaza.

Accusing executives of bowing to pressure “from the top,” Lineker made the remarks during a private screening of “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” where media reports say he was visibly moved.

It was the first time he had publicly criticized the BBC since his departure, which followed backlash over a social media post perceived as having antisemitic connotations — something he later apologized for.

After the screening, Lineker said the documentary, originally commissioned by the broadcasting giant, “needed to be seen. It really did need to be seen.”

He added: “I think the BBC should hold its head in shame. I’ve worked for the corporation for 30 years; to see the way it’s declined in the last year or two has been devastating really. I’ve defended it and defended it against claims that it is partial.”

The documentary, which features first-hand accounts from Palestinian medical workers and investigates alleged attacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities, was pulled by the BBC over concerns about impartiality. The decision sparked an outcry from pro-Palestinian groups after another documentary on Gaza’s children was taken down when it emerged the main narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

Lineker said that while the BBC “talks about impartiality all the time,” the reality was that the broadcaster was “bowing to pressure from the top,” something he described as deeply concerning.

“I think the time is coming when a lot of people will have to answer for this,” he added, warning that “complicity is something that will come to many.”

The BBC has recently been accused of biased, pro-Israel coverage of the war in Gaza.

Earlier this week hundreds of media professionals, including over 100 current BBC staff, accused the broadcaster of acting as “PR for the Israeli government.” In an open letter, they raised concerns over the role of board member Sir Robbie Gibb in the BBC’s coverage of Gaza.

Gibb helped lead the consortium that purchased The Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and served as a director until August 2024.

The letter described his position on the BBC board — including on the editorial standards committee — as “untenable,” citing the Jewish Chronicle’s alleged history of publishing “anti-Palestinian and often racist content.”