Gary Lineker to leave BBC’s Match Of The Day at the end of the current football season | UK News

Gary Lineker is to leave Match Of The Day after 25 years, Sky News understands.

The former England striker, who has hosted the BBC Premier League highlights show since 1999, will step down at the end of the current football season, it has been announced.

It is understood he will stay at the BBC until the end of the next World Cup being held in the US, Mexico and Canada in 2026.

The presenter was briefly removed from the programme in March 2023 following controversy over comments he made on social media criticising the then Conservative government’s asylum policies.

The row prompted the BBC to launch an independent review of its social media guidelines and Lineker returned to screens soon after.

The 63-year-old has been the broadcaster’s highest-paid star in recent years for his work on shows including Match Of The Day and Sports Personality Of The Year.

He received around £1.35m during the 2023-24 financial year, according to the BBC’s most recent figures.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Source link