'Woke thing' | Ex-BBC presenter suggests he was dismissed for being '65, white and male'

A former BBC presenter has accused the broadcaster of removing him from his role because he was a middle-aged white man.

Mark Lawrenson, a former professional footballer, spent 30 years as a sports pundit for the BBC, appearing on the channel’s Football Focus show for 25 of those years, before leaving in March 2022.

In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, the decorated former Liverpool FC defender inferred that the BBC’s decision not to renew his contract was due to his age, race and gender.

He told the national newspaper: "The Beeb are probably the worst at giving you bad news.