Gary Lineker will return as Match of the Day host this weekend after he was taken off air over his tweets criticising the government’s migration policy.
BBC director general Tim Davie apologised for the episode and announced an independent review into its social media usage guidelines.
In a statement, Mr Davie said: “Everyone recognises this has been a difficult period for staff, contributors, presenters and, most importantly, our audiences.
“I apologise for this.”
Sky News reports that Lineker has also received a direct private apology, which was not included in the BBC’s statement.
In a tweet, Lineker said he was “delighted that we have navigated a way through this” and paid tribute to “the remarkable show of solidarity”.
“After a surreal few days, I’m delighted that we have navigated a way through this. I want to thank you all for the incredible support, particularly my colleagues at BBC Sport, for the remarkable show of solidarity. Football is a team game but their backing was overwhelming”
