Joe Lycett reacts as Match of the Day presenters retire over Gary Lineker’s BBC series

Comedian Joe Lycett said he was “very available” to step in game of the day Presenter Gary Lineker.

On Friday (10 March) the BBC announced that it had “decided” that Lineker would take a break from presenting the Sports Highlights programme.

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

On the same day, Lineker’s co-hosts Ian Wright and Alan Shearer withdrew from the weekend show out of “solidarity” with the former England striker.

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

Follow here for real-time updates on the game of the day Controversy.

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

Accompanying the post, he included an edited photo of himself with the caption that read, “I’m actually very right wing and I love it.”

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

“Brilliant. Fingers crossed they accept your offer,” wrote another.

This isn’t the first time Lycett has sarcastically claimed to hold conservative political views. In September last year while appearing on the BBC’s political show Sunday with Laura KuenssbergHe pretended to be a “right-wing” Tory supporter.

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Ahead of his performance, Lycett told his Twitter followers: “Really excited to be on this new version of would i lie to you.”

Then, just after the episode ended, he quipped, “If you want more of my righteous opinion, I’m on tour.”

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

For more of Lycett’s biggest political pranks, click here.