Fresh doubts have been raised over Gary Lineker’s future as host of Match of the Day Tonight after rumors circulated around the corporation suggesting his time on the show could be coming to an end.
The presenter, who earns more than any other BBC star, has been the subject of speculation about his future at the broadcaster for months.
An email seen by MailOnline has now circulated which appears to suggest bosses are already drafting a statement to be published announcing his departure.
It has not been possible to verify the authenticity of the email, but when MailOnline approached the BBC they told us: “We have nothing to announce and have not agreed the next steps regarding his contract.” He has a contract until the end of the season.
Lineker himself, however, when approached by MailOnline told our reporter outside his home in south-west London: “Fuck you, I won’t talk to you.” Go.’
Gary Lineker seen outside his home in south west London today
The presenter has been the subject of speculation for months about his future at the station
Dressed in a blue and green jacket, jeans and sneakers, he got into a taxi that had come to pick him up.
The 63-year-old presenter had reportedly been linked with jobs at rival broadcasters and, before his departure, under a cloud, Jermaine Jenas was being lined up to replace the former England captain.
Reports in late September suggested Lineker would hold talks with the BBC this month over a multi-year deal after voluntarily offering to take a pay cut.
It was suggested he would remain at MOTD for £1m a year, £350,000 less than his current salary.
The Sun quoted a source as saying: “Gary is hugely popular with fans and players alike. The feeling is that, with so much uncertainty and scandal at the BBC, viewers are clamoring for a safe pair of hands right now.
Gary loves the BBC, loves his job and recognizes what an honor it is to present television’s leading football program as well as international matches.
“Gary has long maintained that the BBC offers excellent value for money and has literally put his money where his mouth is and offered to take a substantial pay cut.”
Lineker began his career as a BBC pundit on 5 Live and Grandstand before taking on the role of Match of the Day presenter in 1999.
He has also presented Sports Personality of the Year, London 2012 and Golf for the corporation.
Just a few weeks ago, Lineker suggested he would have “at least another year” at the helm of the BBC’s long-running football programme, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in August.
Gary loves the BBC, he loves his job and recognizes what an honor it is to present television’s flagship football programme.
The 63-year-old presenter would have been linked to jobs at rival stations.
He opened up about his future when asked how long he would continue presenting, and responded: ‘I don’t know… it depends on how long they want me, I guess.’
Interviewed by BBC Breakfast’s John Watson in August, he said: “I mean, I love doing it at the moment (and) I’ve got another year doing it, at least.”
‘We’ll have to wait and see what happens. It’s an ever-changing party, football, television, soccer, Premier League rights and things like that, so all of these things will play a part.
‘But I feel like it’s been a privilege to present it for 25 years. I must be getting old.’
Lineker’s time as the face of Match of the Day has been controversial at times, with the presenter being temporarily suspended last year for criticizing the government’s asylum policy in a controversially worded tweet.
He returned shortly after a walkout by his MOTD colleagues who showed solidarity with the former England striker, and the row even prompted the Beeb to review and draw up a new set of guidelines for its presenters and their use of social media.
Elsewhere in the interview, the BBC’s highest-paid star also explained why the show meant so much to him.
“It’s been a part of my life, a big part of my life from the beginning,” he explained. ‘I watched it when I was a kid, it was the only night my dad let me stay up to watch Match of the Day.
“Because a lot of the population doesn’t have Sky or TNT or any of these streaming channels that show football and the Premier League, I think about half the population gets their Premier League fix from Match of the Day and still “He has it.”
Lineker became the main host of Match of the Day in 1999
He was also asked why he thinks the BBC show continues to attract viewers, to which he replied: “I think part of that is that it’s trustworthy.”
‘The longevity of the show, the love for the show. I think people like to look at it that way, they like to see the highlights. “They like getting their dose of the Premier League from us and hopefully this continues.”
Lineker’s place as the Beeb’s highest-paid talent is as much a talking point among critics as his social media antics, and was something his MOTD predecessor Des Lynam recently called “unjustifiable”.
After leaving football, Lineker’s presenting career began at the BBC, where he presented MOTD, as well as working for Al Jazeera Sports and NBC Sports Network.
With a total net worth of £30 million, he is one of the UK’s most notable sporting figures and consistently performs at major tournaments including the Euros and World Cup.
Throughout his stellar football career, he played for England 80 times and scored 49 goals before retiring in 1994 to enter the media world.
As well as presenting, he signed a three-year deal worth £1.2 million with Walkers Crisps in 2020 and established his own podcast production company Goalhanger, which produces podcasts including The Rest is History and The Rest is Politics.
His BBC salary has been reduced since 2019, when he earned 1.75 million, and he took a voluntary 23 percent pay cut in 2020.
Goalhanger claims to be the UK’s largest independent podcast group, with 17.5 million downloads as of July 2023.
It was founded by Lineker, along with Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport.
In July, it was reported that Lineker planned a departure from the BBC for its biggest rival, only to discover that ITV was not interested, it was understood.
The Daily Mail was told in July that a representative of the Match of the Day presenter made overtures to ITV in the past 18 months.
Sources indicated that the talks were aimed at exploring whether they wanted the former England player as a sports presenter.