Gary Lineker On Best Tv Presenter Shortlist In Wake Of Match Of The Day Exit

Gary Lineker has been shortlisted for nan National Television grant for champion TV presenter, a fewer months aft his exit from nan BBC’s Match Of The Day.

The erstwhile footballer will compete against Ant and Dec, who person won nan prize for 23 years successful a row.

Lineker exited nan BBC’s flagship shot show successful May aft 26 years, pursuing a statement complete him sharing a societal media station astir Zionism. The station featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult.

He issued an unreserved apology complete nan post, arsenic it was confirmed he would time off his domiciled early astatine nan BBC, wherever he was its highest paid on-air presenter, and would nary longer beforehand sum of nan 2026 World Cup aliases adjacent season’s FA Cup.

This period it was announced that he had signed up to coming a caller ITV gameshow called The Box, which will beryllium filmed successful nan UK later this twelvemonth and aerial successful 2026.

During his BBC career, Lineker’s societal media posts many times led to disapproval of nan broadcaster. In 2023, he compared nan past Conservative government’s rhetoric astir migration to that utilized successful Germany successful nan 1930s. His suspension led to colleagues stepping retired successful solidarity and a Match of nan Day without immoderate commentary aliases analysis. The BBC toughened its impartiality guidelines for presenters.

He was among 500 film, TV and different media professionals calling connected nan BBC to reinstate a documentary connected children and young group surviving successful Gaza. It was removed from nan BBC’s iPlayer aft it emerged that nan film’s 14-year-old narrator was nan boy of a lawman agriculture curate successful nan territory’s Hamas-run government.

Amid nan last statement complete nan Zionism post, an question and reply pinch Lineker was published successful which he warned BBC bosses location could beryllium much arguable moments to navigate betwixt now and nan adjacent World Cup. “You either person empathy aliases you don’t,” Lineker said. “I’ll decidedly proceed pushing humanitarian issues.”

Lineker and Ant and Dec will compete for nan tv presenter prize against Alison Hammond, champion known for her appearances connected This Morning and The Great British Bake Off; The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing big Claudia Winkleman; and Sort Your Life Out presenter Stacey Solomon.

The NTAs will beryllium held astatine nan O2 successful London connected 10 September and televised by ITV.

With PA Media