Gary Lineker has issued a defiant statement without an apology over his tweets about the government's illegal immigration policy as it was confirmed he will return to Match of the Day.

Mr Lineker said that the backing he received during the row was "overwhelming" but "however difficult the last few days had been it simply doesn’t compare to having to flee your home from persecution or war to seek refuge in a land far away".

Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, acknowledged that it had been a "difficult period" caused by "grey areas" in the corporation's social media guidance.

#garylineker #bbc #matchoftheday

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