Gary Lineker’s fresh dig at BBC, why he left corporation, new role with ITV

It has been almost a year since Gary Lineker cut ties with the BBC and Match of the Day but the legendary football pundit has kept himself incredibly busy

Gary Lineker has criticised the BBC’s planned coverage of the 2026 World Cup over pundits “working from a green box in Salford” instead of being live at the scene in North America. The corporation has made an executive decision to direct operations from their base in Greater Manchester rather than fly staff out to America, Mexico and Canada.

It’s a move that has been met with criticism, as the Beeb only plan to send television pundits stateside from the quarter-finals onward to cut costs. Speaking at the launch of Netflix’s Sports Club, Lineker took a subtle dig at his previous employers.

He said: “I was originally going to do it for the BBC, this summer, but that didn’t transpire and I would have been in Salford in a green box and now I’m going to be in New York City overlooking Times Square with lots of great guests.”

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It comes as Lineker cut ties with the BBC almost exactly a year ago in controversial fashion, bringing a 26-year tenure to a close. Here, Mirror Football breaks down why, and what the 65-year-old has been up to over the past 12 months…

Why did Lineker leave the BBC?

While Lineker was always planning to walk away from Match of the Day last May, he was set to continue to front the BBC’s coverage of the FA Cup, as well as this summer’s World Cup. However, that all changed when he was caught up in a social media row.

Last year, the Englishman shared a video on Zionism online which included a rat emoji, something which has historically been used as an anti-Semitic slur. While Linker explained that he hadn’t seen the emoji and if he had that he wouldn’t have shared the video, he also admitted that he should have been more vigilant.

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Lineker explained that the best course of action would be him leaving the BBC, drawing a tenure of more than a quarter of a century to a close. He said in a statement at the time: ” Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember – both on the pitch and in the studio.

“I care deeply about the game, and about the work I’ve done with the BBC over many years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic – it goes against everything I stand for.

“However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”

BBC director general, Tim Davie, also said: “Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season.

“Gary has been a defining voice in football coverage for the BBC for over two decades. His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made.”

A new role with ITV

Soon after leaving the BBC, Lineker announced that he would be presenting a new ITV gameshow called The Box, set to air in 2026. The show will see 10 yellow boxes each house a celebrity contestant who will be transported to unknown locations.

They will then be left to face whatever challenge awaits on the outside. Each week, two players will face The Duel, with the loser leaving the competition. Speaking last year on the venture, Lineker said: “I can’t wait to host The Box.

“I’ve always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar. The contestants will have to quickly and masterfully work out how each game works, whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition to take control.

“It’s going to be unpredictable and thrilling to watch, and I’m excited that I get to have a front row seat to all the action.”

Other ventures

Lineker has also kept busy with a number of other ventures since leaving the BBC. He continues to front the highly-successful Rest Is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, which was recently picked up by Netflix in a £14million move.

As a result, The Rest Is Football will broadcast live from North America each day of the World Cup, with the trio of top-tier pundits providing all of the latest news, reaction and insight into the tournament.

Lineker said: “With us – Alan, Micah and myself – we are also fans and we will all be cheering England, but sometimes when you care that much you are probably more critical of your own team than anybody else.

“There was a bit of furore during the Euros when I said, ‘England played s***.’ And they did. If I said England had played really poorly it wouldn’t have made headlines.

“I only said it because I cared because it was excruciating and England got lucky with their goal. You have to tell it as it is and we continue to do that, and hopefully I won’t have to say anything like that.”

Alex Aljoe, Rob Jones and a number of other guests will also play a part in the show this summer.

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