'Shockwaves!' Gary Lineker to QUIT Match of the Day at end of season ahead of BBC 'reboot'
Gary Lineker QUITS Match of the Day
GB NEWS
BBC veteran Gary Lineker is set to end his time as a presenter on Match of the Day at the end of this season, it is believed.
The 63-year-old presenter will also fully step down from the BBC after the 2026 World Cup, with the ex-Spurs striker also fronting FA Cup coverage next season.
Lineker is expected to cash in on a substantial pay out after hosting Match of the Day for 25-years.
The 48-time England goalscorer built up a controversial career at the BBC after making a series of politically-charged comments that infuriated viewers and even led to his temporary suspension in March 2023.
Gary Lineker to QUIT Match of the Day at end of season ahead of BBC 'reboot'
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Discussing the expected change, a BBC source told The Sun: “Gary absolutely adores Match of the Day, and has been incredibly happy at the BBC.
“But he has been at the helm since 1999, and by the time he leaves, he will have been at the Beeb for 30 years.
“He wants to leave on a high - and if England win the World Cup, it doesn’t get much higher.
“It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that the new BBC Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski and Gary aren’t exactly close. The former is very keen to make his mark by bringing in new faces, and slashing wage bills.
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“Negotiations have been ongoing for the past six weeks and finally a deal has been struck that everyone is pleased with."
The past several months have witnessed crazed debate over whether the football star was going to step away from MOTD.
After a leak last month which indicated that the presenter might quit the famed show during the season, Lineker mocked any speculation.
Speaking to Esquire Magazine, Lineker was also questioned on whether he might step down from his role.
He said: "I could do. Whether that will be the case I don't know.
"At some point, I have to slow down somewhere... I'm getting old."
Amid the scandal, the BBC took Lineker off air for one episode after he compared the Conservatives' asylum policy to Nazi Germany - as cohosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright would not host the football programme without him
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Despite a set of previous controversies, Lineker and BBC Director General Tim Davie eventually agreed on what the ex-footballer was allowed to publish on social media.
Amid the scandal, the BBC took Lineker off air for one episode after he compared the Conservatives' asylum policy to Nazi Germany.
However, he was reintated after co-hosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright vowed to boycott the football programme.
It is understood that the BBC has several "shake-ups" in store once Lineker departs from the programme.
One source said: “The BBC are desperate not to see figures haemorrhage and want to maximise on the show’s current popularity.
“They will bring in some exciting new measures over the next few years, whilst not reinventing the wheel.”
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