BBC pundit Shearer to miss flagship programme in support of presenter Lineker

Alan Shearer, a former England soccer player and pundit on the BBC, said he had told the corporation he would not appear on its flagship Match of the Day show on Saturday after it said main presenter Gary Lineker would "step back" over a political row.

"I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night," Shearer said in a tweet.

Earlier, fellow pundit Ian Wright said he would not appear in "solidarity" to Lineker.