Gary Lineker's BBC career hangs by a thread following mutiny over Nazi tweet row trends now

Gary Lineker's BBC career was hanging by a thread last night.

He has dramatically been dropped from Match of the Day for his anti-Tory comments on social media. But the decision sparked a meltdown at the broadcaster when fellow hosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright pulled out of tonight's football show in solidarity.

BBC bosses had told Lineker either to stop his politicised posts or give up working for the corporation.

Last night a senior source said: 'It's now up to Lineker – he needs to choose.' Another well-placed insider described the presenters' mutiny as a 'proper BBC crisis'.

Lineker is said to have been unwilling to apologise for his tweet this week in which he likened the Government's migrant crackdown to 1930s Germany.

The BBC said it had decided he would 'step back' from presenting Match of the Day 'until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media'. It said it felt that the 62-year-old presenter – its highest-paid star on £1.35million a year – had broken rules with 'his recent social media activity'.

But the statement came into question last night. Sources close to Lineker stressed he had not agreed to take a break from Match of the Day and was 'taken off air'.

ITV political editor Robert Peston said the former England captain had also rejected 'the idea that he breached social media guidelines' – partly because this was not in his contract. Dan Walker of Channel 5 News read out a text from Lineker saying: 'They've told me I have to step back.'

Wright was the first to say he would not appear on Match of the Day tonight in protest.

The former Arsenal and England striker posted: 'Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I've told the BBC I won't be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity.'

This was followed by an announcement from Shearer that he was also pulling out of BBC1's flagship football show.

Former England player Alex Scott also appeared to rule herself out, tweeting a short video which showed US politician Bernie Sanders saying 'Nah! Not me.' Pundit Jermaine Jenas – regarded as an eventual successor to Lineker – said he was not due to be on tonight but would have boycotted the show.

The BBC subsequently confirmed it was unable to find a presenter to fill the vacant hot seat, and with no top commentators the corporation is set to rely on the Premier League's world feed service for this evening's broadcast.

Regular Match of the Day commentator Steve Wilson said he and other talking heads have vowed not to participate in the next programme.

He said: 'As commentators on MOTD, we have decided to step down from [Saturday] night's broadcast.

'We are comforted that football fans who want to watch their teams should still be able to do so, as management can use World Feed commentary if they wish.'

He added: 'In the circumstances, we do not feel it would be appropriate to take part in the programme.'

Announcing the changes to this week's show, a BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of our pundits have said that they don't wish to appear on the program while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary.

'We understand their position and we have decided that the program will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry.'

A source close to Match Of The Day told MailOnline that even the production team was 'considering walking in support of Gary Lineker and have contacted their union'.

However, they were cautious to go ahead, because since there has 'been no ballot action, they won't be protected by law.'

At one stage the BBC were facing the prospect of scrapping Saturday night's edition altogether.

Yet cancellation would have put them in breach of a £70million-a-year contract with the Premier League.

BBC quiz presenter Richard Osman branded the decision to take Lineker off air 'pathetic'.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also backed the hosts, tweeting: 'Well done Gary Lineker for standing up for refugees. Well done Ian Wright for showing the meaning of solidarity.' It is understood that some members of the Match of the Day production team have contacted their union to ask if they could legally go on strike in protest at Lineker's treatment.

Philippa Childs, the head of broadcast union Bectu, which represents thousands of BBC staff, said: 'This is a deeply concerning decision from the BBC. It will give the appearance they have bowed to political pressure from ministers to take someone off air for disagreeing with the policies of the current Government.'

On Tuesday Lineker said Suella Braverman's Illegal Migration Bill was 'beyond awful'.

He said it was an 'immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s'. Lineker was then accused of 'thumbing his nose' at BBC bosses with further social media posts attacking the Government. The broadcaster spent days dithering before issuing its bombshell announcement at 5pm yesterday.

'The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days,' said a spokesman. 'We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines.

'The BBC has decided he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we've got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media. When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none.

'We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can't have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.' Tory former culture secretary Nadine Dorries welcomed the decision to take Lineker off air.

She said: 'News that Gary Lineker has been stood down for investigation is welcome and shows the BBC are serious about impartiality.

'Gary is entitled to his views – free speech is paramount. Lots of non-public service broadcasters can accommodate him and his views and he would be better paid.'

Red Wall Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith said he did not want to silence opinion but added: 'He's clearly overstepped the mark here. What he said was grossly offensive and he doesn't seem to be showing any contrition whatsoever.'

Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy said it was 'hard to see Lineker coming back' following the BBC's decision.

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Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said he would boycott Match Of The Day amid the Gary Lineker row.

Sharing a headline saying the presenter will be 'stepping back' from the show, Mr Farron tweeted: 'And I will be stepping back from watching the programme until the @BBC grows a backbone. Still, I'm sure we can count on the Free Speech Union to stand up against this hysterical act of cancellation...'

Henry Winter, the chief football writer for The Times who has regularly appeared on the BBC's Radio 5 Live, said the broadcaster should be 'ashamed' by its decision to ask Gary Lineker to step back from hosting Match Of The Day.

'Disappointing that coverage of (Match Of The Day) dictated by politicians,' he tweeted.