Former Everton and Leicester striker Gary Lineker has been the face of the BBC’s Match of the Day programme for more than 20 years
Gary Lineker has opened up about having a “strange few days” amid rumours swirling about his future as the host of BBC’s Match of the Day. The 63-year-old broadcasting veteran, who has become synonymous with the show over his more than two-decade tenure, has addressed the speculation that had been building up.
Despite reports from MailOnline last week suggesting they’d seen an internal BBC email hinting at Lineker’s exit after his contract ends, the BBC has refuted such claims. Lineker himself has confirmed that discussions regarding his contract have “just started”.
On a lighter note, during Saturday’s Match of the Day, he quipped it was his last episode – swiftly clarifying it was only ‘before the international break’. Speaking on his The Rest is Football podcast with co-hosts Micah Richards and Alan Shearer, Lineker mentioned the “strange few days”, but acknowledged “there are bigger problems in the world, that’s for sure”.
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He elaborated on his contract situation, likening it to a trio of Liverpool stars, saying: “It’s been a strange few days – as you know, like Trent (Alexander-Arnold), Virgil (van Dijk) and Mo (Salah), I’m coming to the end of my contract in the summer so it’s natural at some point you have to have conversations and they have just started,” and reassured fans by adding: “I don’t know why it all spiralled out of control. All is OK.”
Gary Lineker remains the BBC’s top earner – bagging an estimated £1.35m in the 2023/24 financial year, the broadcaster’s annual report revealed this summer. He is banking around £500,000 more than fellow presenter Zoe Ball.
This salary significantly contributes to his impressive net worth, speculated to be approximately £30m. Off the pitch, Lineker’s TV earnings have reportedly surpassed his playing days income, even with stints at elite clubs like Barcelona and Everton on his CV.
Since hanging up his boots, Lineker has been an on-screen personality for BT Sport, NBC and Al Jazeera, and has a long-running promotional tie-up with Walkers Crisps. On the family front, Gary has four sons with former wife Michelle Cockayne, whom he wed in 1986: George, Harry, Tobias, and Angus – all now adults.
Lineker and Michelle split in 2006, with “unreasonable behaviour” being cited in divorce proceedings. Lineker’s second marriage was to Welsh model Danielle Bux in 2009 following their meeting on a blind date two years prior, but that union ended in 2016, purportedly over differing views on starting a family. Despite the separation, they’ve maintained a friendship.
