Gary Lineker has stepped down from his role as Match of the Day presenter in Hot Seat for over 25 years, with three presenters intervening to take over his role this season
Gary Reinker believes that the match of the day will replace him with three new hosts due to the “large commitment” needed in the face of the BBC One Show. The former England star, who spent more than 20 years as the main face of MOTD, resigned from his role in May after cutting ties with the broadcaster after an online controversy.
The Lineker name has been roughly synonymous with the flagship show since its debut in 1999, replacing the iconic Des Lynam. Following the announcement of the exit in November 2024, the BBC worked hard to source the right alternatives, and it went to three.
Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan will be in the studio this season to take over the line car. A decision that was confused for many. Viewers questioned why the three presenters were drafted to take over one’s job, but the host who left said exactly why this happened.
read more: Gary Lineker’s first confirmed day line-up match since BBC exitread more: Kelly Cates “I don’t want to be the new Gary Lineker” and never told him about MOTD’s role
Linecar, who competed in Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, insists that the three hosts must share a massive workload that can take over your life. The 64-year-old spoke to Fourfourtwo and said, “It probably depends on the fact that it’s a massive commitment.
“These three have a family. If you’re saying someone is saying they’re going to do it for the next 10 or 20 years, then your weekend is gone.
Lineker continues to make sure he is not an avid viewer of his old stomping spot over the weekend, instead spending his time catching up on the time he missed while playing the show. Sending his wishes to the new MOTD face, he added:
“I’ll see it, but I don’t think I’ll be watching it on the iPlayer… on Saturday. Maybe it’s a weird time if I’m there.”
With the Premier League kicking off this weekend, Chapman was confirmed to be his first seat at an old spot in the line car for the 2025/26 campaign. He will be joined by former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer, the league’s greatest top-scholar.
Chapman has a lot of experience in the broadcast, and has also announced Sunday’s spinoffs, especially in the show, since 2013. Cates made his debut on Wednesday, covering the UEFA Super Cup final between the Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain.
Cates has been a Sky Sports regular since 2016, covering the Premier League and will continue his role as a BBC rival during this campaign. Meanwhile, Logan has been with the BBC since 2007, presenting shows as Inside Sport, Final Score and MOTD presenter since 2012.
In honor of all three presenters, Cates confirmed that Lineker was not talking to the new host and that he was not keen to instruct them on how the show was run. Before the start of the new Sky Sports Premier League season, the 49-year-old admitted that she was not trying to replace the iconic presenter, but instead admitted that she had placed her own stamp on the show.
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Cates said: “He’s not in touch, so I don’t get in touch with him, but not because we don’t avoid each other. We don’t know each other. I know Gary will say hello, we just don’t know each other very well.
“And I think Shepper said Gary said, he’s very nice at work and he was a controversial character, so he’s very nice.
“So, from my point of view, the reason not to do that is, I don’t want to be Gary. I think there’s the temptation to be someone else, and I think you get a job for yourself.
“I don’t need to think about something else. “What will Gary do? That’s not a decision. It just doesn’t have anything to do with us.”
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