Gary Lineker provokes outrage with TV license fee joke

Gary Lineker has left some fans fuming after making a joke about the TV license fee increase.

The BBC announced this week that the license fee will rise by £1.50 from 1st April this year, and will now cost £159 for an annual colour TV license, instead of £157.50.

Lineker, 60, tweeted the news, qupping: "But, but I’ve just taken a pay cut."

The former footballer turned TV presenter - who has been hosting flagship sports show Match Of The Day since 1999 - is currently the highest paid member of staff at the BBC, according to the corporation's official list of published salaries, with an annual wage of £1.75 million last year.

Read more: Gary Lineker not concerned about BBC's social media policy as he 'tweets sensibly'

However, when the BBC published its top earners list in 2020, it announced Lineker had signed a new five-year deal which would see him take a 23 per cent pay cut, affecting his salary from 2021.

Outraged followers - of which Lineker has 7.8m - hit back to say they did not find the joke funny.

One replied: "Wow! If it's a joke, it's a bad one. If not, then it's just hopelessly insensitive and crass."

While somebody else wrote: "I know you are having banter, and I for one don’t mind that. But in these desperate times, where a lot of people are struggling financially and mentally, your timing isn’t great Gary."

Another tweeted: "Massive fan of your quips Gary. I’m not “offended” like some comments are insinuating, but gut feeling when I first read this was that it missed the mood of the public. Lots struggling and every bill seems to be increasing."

One Twitter responded: "That’s lovely Gary. I’ve always liked you but not sure about such a tasteless joke when millions, like me, are watching a lifetime of successful business destroyed while also getting zero help. I’ve had NO INCOME since March 2020 but still have to pay your bl***y wages."

But others defended Lineker, with one user pointing out: "I think the joke has gone over most people’s heads. Gary is likely saying he took a pay cut so the BBC didn’t have to do things like this to increase profits."

And another defended the license fee, saying: "Well I thought it was amusing. I also think that the BBC is an incredible bargain and worth every penny. How many of the people whinging about it pay even more [to] all the other streaming services."

Read more: John Humphrys brands Gary Lineker pay 'outrageous'

The BBC has been publishing the individual salaries of its highest paid stars for several years, with Lineker always being in the top two earners - only being overtaken by Chris Evans once when he hosted the Radio 2 breakfast show.

Before that the BBC would publish a lump sum paid to its celebrity talent earning over £1m a year, with Lineker always beleieved to be among them.

Watch: Gary Lineker top BBC salaries list yet again