Viewers of the first World Cup match have accused the BBC of brazen ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘virtue signalling’ after pundits launched into a segment about controversies and human rights issues in Qatar while broadcasting live from a stadium in Doha yesterday.
Gary Lineker’s opening monologue for the corporation’s coverage of the tournament addressed the human rights record in the host nation immediately. The controversial competition kicked off with Qatar facing Ecuador in Group A, with the game shown live on the BBC.
He had previously been criticised, along with other football commentators and journalists, for agreeing to attend and be paid for the tournament in Qatar given its deeply conservative stance on issues such as gay rights.