Gary Lineker has disclosed that he declined numerous reality television opportunities following the announcement that he would be stepping away from his primary hosting duties at the BBC.
Lineker, aged 64, is scheduled to conclude his tenure as the main host of Match of the Day at the end of the current football season.
He will be succeeded by a presenting team comprising Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan, and Mark Chapman.
Despite this change, Lineker will remain with the BBC to head their coverage of the 2026 World Cup in the USA and Mexico. He is also set to continue presenting the broadcaster`s FA Cup coverage.
In a conversation with The Times newspaper, Lineker confirmed receiving multiple proposals for reality TV appearances.
According to Lineker, his agent was approached by producers from the reality show Big Brother to inquire about his potential participation. The response given was a price quote of £100 million. Lineker remarked that this sum was “a little over their budget” and added that he personally “wouldn’t have done it for £100million either.”
During the interview, Lineker, who earned 80 caps and scored 48 goals for England, mentioned that he has developed a passion for cooking in his leisure time. This interest has also led to offers from television cookery shows.
He firmly stated his refusal of these offers: “I’ve actually been offered to do cookery programmes, but I don’t want to, because whilst I’m a very keen cook and I think I’m a good cook, I’m not Gordon f***ing Ramsay.”
Lineker expressed his belief that he is a better presenter now than he has ever been, partly crediting his podcast “The Rest is Football” for enhancing his skills both for audio and visual media.
He shared his perspective on leaving his weekly MOTD role, suggesting it feels like a fitting time to go. He also indicated that the BBC “wasn’t a great desire” to provide him with another three-year contract for that specific position.
Gary Lineker began hosting Match of the Day in 1999, taking over from Des Lynam. He was also the lead BBC presenter for the 2012 Olympic Games hosted in London. In July 2022, reports indicated he was the corporation`s highest-paid presenter.
In 2023, he faced a brief suspension from Match of the Day after making critical comments about the British government’s immigration policy on social media.
