Match Of The Day’s Gary Lineker sensationally admits the BBC licence fee should be voluntary

BBC footie host Gary Lineker has sensationally admitted the licence fee should be a voluntary charge.

The ex-England striker, the Beeb’s highest-paid star at £1.75million a year – said the fee was a “fundamental problem”.

His stinging comments come as the corporation faces a battle with the government over its future - and with BBC boss Tony Hall stepping down in the summer.

The corporation is also slashing award-winning programmes like the Victoria Derbyshire show in a bid to save cash.

Lineker, 59, told the Guardian: “You’re forced to pay it if you want a TV, and therefore it’s a tax.

“The public pay our salaries, so everyone is a target.”

He added: “I would make the licence fee voluntary. I’ve always said for a long time, I would make it voluntary. I don’t know the logistics of how it would work.

“You would lose some people, but at the same time you’d up the price a bit.

'It’s the price of a cup of coffee a week'

“It’s the price of a cup of coffee a week at the moment."If you put it up you could help older people, or those that can’t afford it.”

Former BBC political journalist John Sergeant also slammed the fee – calling it “increasingly out of date”.

The ex journalist, 75, said other options such as subscriptions, programme sponsorship or even advertising should be considered instead.

Sergeant wrote in Radio Times magazine that Lord Hall’s successor “will inherit an in-tray bursting with problems” including “placating female staff bitter about pay equality” and improving relations with the Government.

He said “the case for the licence fee, a form of poll tax, has been steadily eroded” by rivals like Amazon and Netflix.

And he added: “The average age of the audience is increasing, the number of viewers is falling. Young people are more likely to be hooked on their tablets and smartphones.

“It is time to think of different ways of paying for BBC programmes, whether it be some form of payment by subscription, as well as programme sponsorship, if not a move towards advertising in general.”

In December, Boris Johnson said he was “looking at” abolishing the licence fee.

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