So, it’s goodbye to Gary Linker and to the costly, star-struck culture at the BBC | Martha Gill

Gary Lineker ’s retirement from Match of the Day has dominated headlines.

Some have wondered if this heralds a general ousting of the woke’ from public life.

But Lineker is remarkable for his salary, about 1.35 m a year, making him highest earner.

Will his successor be paid as much? It's unlikely. The salaries of top presenters at the BBC have been falling for a decade .

Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield were made to feel untouchable.

When Elle Macpherson announced holistic treatment and her inner sense’ had successfully treated her cancer, this mattered.

Yet more dangers lurk in the worship of fame.

Too much deference, and celebrities start to behave in ways that we should not tolerate.