Joe Lycett reacts as Match of the Day presenters pull out over Gary Lineker BBC row

No presenter or pundits will appear on ‘Match of the Day’ this weekend

Joe Lycett has joked that he is “very much available” to step in for Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker amid his “impartiality” row at the BBC.

The Match of the Day host became emroiled in controversy after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC announced it had decided Lineker would take a break from presenting the sports highlights programme. Later that day, his co-hosts Ian Wright and Alan Shearer pulled out of football show in “solidarity” with Lineker.

You can follow The Independent’s live blog for updates here.

Reacting to the news on Friday night, Lycett shared a tweet reading: “I have informed the BBC that I am very much available for tomorrow’s #MOTD.”

He attached a screenshot from his viral BBC politics interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, in which he claimed to be “very right wing” and a big supporter of Liz Truss.

The post was captioned: “I’m actually very right-wing and I love it.”

The tweet was met with amusement from Lycett’s fans, with one fan writing: “That has the potential to be the greatest show ever.”

“Brilliant. Fingers crossed they’ll take you up on your offer,” another Twitter user wrote.

Lineker’s original tweet came in response to a Home Office video in which home secretary Suella Braverman unveiled plans to stop people crossing the Channel on small boats.

The BBC has since confirmed there will be no presenter or pundits for Saturday (11 March) night’s episode of Match of the Day, after Alex Scott, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas ruled out an appearance alongside Wright and Shearer.

You can find more of Lycett’s biggest political pranks here.