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

Comedian Joe Lycett has said he is “very much available” to step in for Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker.

On Friday (10 March), the BBC announced it had “decided” Lineker would take a break from presenting the sports highlights programme.

The move comes after the presenter became embroiled in a row over impartiality after comparing the language used to launch a new government asylum policy with 1930s Germany.

That same day, Lineker’s co-hosts Ian Wright and Alan Shearer pulled out of the weekend show in “solidarity” with the former English striker.

Alex Scott, Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas have also joined the list of pundits who have ruled out an appearance.

Follow along here for real-time updates about the Match of the Day controversy.

The BBC has since confirmed there will be no presenter or pundits for this weekend’s show, prompting Lycett to respond to the news on Twitter, where he said he’s “informed the BBC that I am very much available for tomorrow’s #MOTD”.

Attached to the post, he included an edited photo of himself with subtitles that read: “I’m actually very right-wing and I love it.”

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

“Brilliant. Fingers crossed they’ll take you up on your offer,” someone else wrote.

This isn’t the first time Lycett has sarcastically claimed to hold conservative political views. In September of last year, during an appearance on BBC’s political show Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he pretended to be a “right-wing” Tory supporter.

Ahead of his appearance, Lycett told his Twitter followers: “Really excited to be on this new version of Would I Lie To You.”

Then, shortly after the episode ended, he quipped: “If you want to hear more of my right-wing opinions, I’m on tour.”

The British comic, 34, may insist that he’s not a political comedian, but Lycett has often used his work to make a political statement.

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