Popular TV figure Gary Lineker, who played for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Barcelona throughout his career, will be returning to Saturday night television after being forced to step back from his long-standing role as the host of BBC’s Match of the Day.
Three months ago, the Beeb asked the ex-England forward to retire from his role amid accusations of anti-Semitism. For reference: Lineker shared a pro-Palestinian video on Instagram featuring a rat emoji – which is believed to be a slur towards Jewish people.
Lineker, born and raised in Leicester, deleted the post and apologised for any offence caused – but he recently revealed that BBC bosses told him that he would have been dismissed if he opted against quitting. As a result, he lost out on £800,000, according to The Telegraph.
Watch Lineker's Match of the Day farewell below:
Lineker Lands New TV Role for ITV After MOTD Sack
The TV show has been hugely popular in Norway
Following his retirement from his playing days, Lineker turned his hand to punditry and became very well-liked in the process. Match of the Day was his forte, thus why he was the host for a total of 26 years. To put his longevity into perspective, the 64-year-old’s first show as host was way back in 1999.
Lineker – widely regarded as one of England’s greatest-ever strikers – was set to quit after next summer’s World Cup but the dad-of-four’s time was cut prematurely. Now, he’s set to return to television screens for ITV, which will infuriate his old BBC employers according to The Sun's sources.
Seen as the successor to Ant and Dec’s hugely popular Saturday Night Takeaway, which ended in April 2024, Lineker’s new show – which will be broadcast on ITV – will see 12 celebrities put in boxes and given challenges, which are said to be ‘daring’.
gary lineker
It’s coming to English television after being a huge success in Norway, with the show said to be a cross between I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and SAS: Who Dares Wins. It’s been watched by more than a million people (a fifth of the population) in Norway.
A source, speaking to The Sun, stated that interest in Lineker had been in the pipeline for a while; it was merely a matter of finding the right format for him. “The Box is massive in Norway, and the rights were quickly sold to Denmark and now the UK,” they said.
“They have long been sniffing around Gary and just needed to find the right format for him. They’re confident they’ve found that now, and the BBC’s loss is their gain. ITV are really excited about it – and believe they have finally found a worthy successor to Saturday Night Takeaway.”
A TV insider told the newspaper: “The scheduling hasn’t yet been confirmed, but filming takes place in the autumn, and the series is due to air early spring. It looks likely to get a Saturday night slot though, but obviously it’s all to play for.”