welcome to the fame Journey today we're diving into a heated debate sparked by Des Liam the iconic former host of match of the day as the show approaches its 60th anniversary Liam has reignited controversy with his outspoken views on female pundits in men's football and his critique of Gary lanker's Hefty BBC salary Lam's comments have sent shock waves through social media igniting discussions on gender roles and sports commentary and the value of on screen Talent let's unpack these explosive statements and explore what they mean for the future of football broadcasting death Liam a name synonymous with the golden era of match of the day is no stranger to controversy at 81 years old Liam res a respected figure in British sports media but his recent remarks have stirred up intense debate in an interview with radio times Liam voiced his skepticism about the role of female pundits in men's football while he acknowledged that female presenters have excelled in their roles he argued that pundits should have experienced at the level they discussing specifically the men's game according to Liam women who have not played men's football at the highest level May lack the necessary insight to provide authoritative commentary these comments have not been well received by everyone many on social media have labeled Liam's views as outdated with critics arguing that his perspective reflects an era that no longer aligns with today's more inclusive and diverse Sports media landscape this isn't the first time Liam has faced backlash for his views on women in sports back in 2012 during the London Olympics Liam criticized the use of female commentators describing their voices as grading and less suitable for live commentary his remarks at the time sparked outrage and many were quick to remind him of this history following his latest interview Liam's comments Echo those of former footballer Joey Barton who has been similarly critical of female pundits Barton caus a stir earlier this year when he suggested that women should not commentate on men's football even threatening to cancel his Sky Sports subscription if female pundits were not removed from the panel Barton's attack which singled out respected broadcasters like Alex Scott and Laura Woods was widely condemned yet appears Liam's views May inadvertently lend support to Barton stance in the same interview Liam also addressed the issue of Gary lanker's salary which has been a point of contention for years as the highest paid Talent at the BBC lanker's annual earnings of over 1.35 million pounds have drawn criticism especially when compared to the wages of essential workers like nurses and firefighters Liam acknowledged the disparity noting that while it's it's difficult to justify such a salary in moral terms the reality is dictated by market forces the BBC Liam suggested pays what it feels is necessary to retain someone of lanker stature even if the figure seems excessive the topic of lanker's pay is particularly sensitive given the ongoing scrutiny of public sector salaries and the BBC's efforts to justify its expenditure lyer who has topped the BBC's pay list since 2017 res a polarizing figure particularly after his well publicized Twitter spat earlier this year despite the controversy lanker's salary has readed unchanged since he took a voluntary pay cut in 2020 a move that did little to quot public criticism Des Liam's comments have once again brought to the Forefront the ongoing debate about gender roles and sports broadcasting and the justification of high salaries for media personalities as match of the day approaches its 60th birthday the show and the broader Sports media landscape finds itself at a Crossroads should experience in men's football be a prerequisite for pundits or does this perspective undermine the strides made toward inclusivity and diversity in the industry and as public scrutiny of top earners continues how much longer can salaries like Gary laners be sustained these are questions that will likely fuel discussions for some time to come be sure to stay tuned to the fame Journey as we continue to bring you the latest on these hot button issues don't forget to like subscribe and hit the notification Bell to stay updated on our latest content thank you for joining us and we'll see you next time