BBC pulls Radio 5 Live sports coverage as Gary Lineker fallout escalates

The BBC replaced the start of 5 Live Sport with pre-recorded podcasts before returning to air at 2pm

Part of BBC Radio 5 Live’s sports coverage was pulled from air on Saturday afternoon, as the crisis facing the BBC deepened.

With Football Focus and Final Score removed from BBC One’s afternoon schedule, 5 Live Sport became the next to fall after the first two hours of the programme were cut and replaced by pre-recorded podcasts.

Sky News reported that 5 Live Sport’s Mark Chapman withdrew from hosting the afternoon’s schedule, with Football Focus presenter Alex Scott and Final Score’s Jason Mohammed stepping down from their television duties earlier in the day.

5 Live Sport returned to air commentary of the 3pm Premier League game between Leeds and Brighton, while the feed from BBC Radio Wales was taken to broadcast the first half of the country’s Six Nations fixture against Italy.

Chapman did not take part in the broadcast while the former Aston Villa striker and 5 Live pundit Dion Dublin tweeted on Saturday morning that he would be joining the boycott: “In solidarity with my BBC Sport colleagues, NO 5live for me today!”

The ex-Everton midfielder Leon Osman also said he would not be appearing on 5 Live. “No BBC 5live commentary for me today in support of my friends and colleagues,” he tweeted.

On 5 Live, the edition of Fighting Talk set to be broadcast at 11am was pulled for a pre-recorded podcast. At 12pm, when 5 Live Sport was scheduled to air, another pre-recorded podcast was broadcasted.

5 Live’s schedule on Saturday afternoon includes commentary of the rugby union match between England and France in the Six Nations from Twickenham, which is expected to go ahead as planned.