A new era for Match of the Day will get underway on BBC 1 tonight, but former host Gary Lineker won’t be tuning in to watch it. Well, not if the previous comments of the 64-year-old are anything to go by, after he left the Beeb this summer following the row over his sharing an anti-semitic post on social media.
Lineker had already been relieved of his duties of hosting the iconic highlights programme, having been the show’s anchor since 1999, when he took over from Des Lynam. However, he was initially contracted until the end of the 2026 World Cup, before agreeing with the broadcaster to leave prematurely. He’s since reportedly agreed a deal to host The Box game show on ITV.
Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan will now share hosting duties in his place this season. The opening show of the Premier League campaign airs at 10.20pm this evening, not that Lineker will be in place in front of his television.
“I’ll be watching, but probably on iPlayer,” he told Four Four Two earlier this year. “I don’t think I’ll be watching on Saturday. Maybe the odd time, if I’m in.”
However, he insisted he wasn’t bitter over being replaced. The former Tottenham, Everton and England star backed the trio of presenters coming in to excel in the role.
“I haven’t seen them yet to speak to them, but I will do, they’ll be fine, and they’ll do a great job,” he continued. “I’ve known them all for many years, and they’re top presenters.
Match of the Day is one of the Beeb’s longest-running shows, having been on air since August 1964. Lineker has been central to many of the show’s memorable moments, famously presenting the show in his underwear after Leicester City won the Premier League title in the 2015/16 season.
His final episode as a presenter saw him interview Liverpool’s title-winning manager Arne Slot, who said: “Thank you for being such a great presenter of a BBC show that I watched many times when I lived in Holland, and now still.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk