Gary Lineker has disclosed that he`s declined several reality TV offers following the news of his departure from the BBC.
The 64-year-old presenter is set to leave his role as the main host of Match of the Day after the current season concludes. Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan, and Mark Chapman will take over the primary hosting duties.
However, Lineker will remain with the BBC to cover the 2026 World Cup in the US and Mexico and will also continue to present the FA Cup coverage.
Speaking to The Times, Lineker confirmed he had received multiple invitations to participate in reality television.
He mentioned that Big Brother producers contacted his agent to gauge his interest, but they were quoted a £100 million fee. Lineker added that he wouldn`t have done it even for that amount, stating the figure was “a little over their budget”.
The former England international, who earned 80 caps and scored 48 goals, also shared that he`s become an enthusiastic cook in his free time, which has resulted in offers from cooking shows.
He commented, “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 feels his skills as a presenter have improved, partly due to his podcast “The Rest is Football”. Despite this, he implied this didn`t influence the BBC`s decision regarding his contract.
He stated: “I think I’m a better presenter now than I’ve ever been. I know everything that can go wrong, and everything that can go right. Which is a good time to go. There wasn’t a great desire to give me another three-year contract.”
Lineker began hosting Match of the Day in 1999, taking over from Des Lynam. He was also the BBC`s primary host for the 2012 London Olympics and was reported as their highest-earning presenter in July 2022.
In 2023, he faced a temporary suspension from Match of the Day after making comments on social media critical of the UK government`s immigration policy.
