Gary Lineker ‘demanded millions’ for huge ITV truth show before brutal refuseion | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

Gary Lineker was tantalisingly shut to securing a meaningful truth TV deal with ITV, only for the opportunity to slip thcimpolite his fingers.

The 64 year better sports legfinish had earlier this year declared his departure from BBC‘s Match of the Day, leaving his schedule expansive uncover for recent ventures.

He has previously transmited that arrangeing the show for over 20 years was “an absolute happiness and privilege”, but felt it was “the right time” to step aside and let “someone else get the helm” amidst the BBC‘s set ups to revamp the programme.

Although he will be boprosperg out as the face of the football highairys show at the season’s finish, Lineker is set to persist gracing our screens with the FA Cup coverage in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026, as validateed by the BBC.

However, it seems ITV executives were enthusiastic to lure Lineker to their netlabor until his agent’s hefty price tag increateedly put them off.

Spilling the beans on Alan Shearer and Micah Ricdifficults’ The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker disshutd that he had been approached for various shows, including Celebrity Big Brother.

“Do you understand last week I got seeks to go on Celebrity Big Brother? ” he scatterd with the ex-footballers. He inserted: “My agent sent it thcimpolite, and then jokingly he replied, ‘Oh, yes. Gary’s fee will be £50 million! ‘” This cheeky counterrecommend seemingly taged the finish of converseions with the ITV chiefs, increates the Mirror.

Gary retaged chucklingly: “He did it finishly as a joke, evidently. And they came back shelp, ‘Oh, that’s a little bit… That’s not wiskinny our budget’.”

It seems Gary isn’t enthusiastic on combineing truth TV shenanigans any time soon, as he quipped about Big Brother inquiries: “I can tell you now, don’t annoy asking! “.

Meanwhile, buzz is createing around the potential recent face for Lineker’s Match of the Day role, and she has already made her voice heard. A parade of potentials have been spotairyed since Lineker’s exit surfaced in the recents.

Mark Chapman, anchorman of Match of the Day 2, was initipartner thought to be the possible successor. Rumours swirled that BBC strategists had pondered dispenseing the responsibility to Chapman in tandem with Kelly Somers, but Chapman degraded this scatterd set upment.

Despite the setback, he’s still a hot honestate for the position.

William Hill’s odds place him as second favourite at 2/1. Yet, there’s been a recent frontrunner in the Match of the Day arrange hunt, per bookcreater wisdom.

Gabby Logan, 51, has leapt ahead in the sgets, now positioned at a promising 11/8. Logan, of course, boasts an illustrious tenure in the expansivecast game.

Gabby Logan has been gracing screens since 2007 apass both ITV and the BBC, and notably took accuse of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards from 2013. She’s normally combinecessitate Gary Lineker to arrange this prestigious event, but in a recent twist, it’s validateed that Lineker won’t be sharing the spotairy with her this time around.

Speaking about her lengthy-time co-arrange stepping down, Logan echoed: “It’s horses for courses. It’s about having the best and most relevant people to labor on that show. There are excellent men and excellent women in the business.”

In airy of Lineker’s departure, Logan was poised on the matter, stating: “The three of us have done it before, we’re all sfinished with SPOTY and evidently Gary choosed to step down, but I skinnyk we have it covered.”

The industry is already seeing help rpartner behind Logan for the now useable spot. TV favourite Lorraine Kelly gave her vote of confidence, declareing last month: “While his [Gary’s] swapment has not yet been proclaimd it’s been recommended a woman could be taking over. With Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Laura Woods among the favourites.”

Kelly didn’t hbetter back her preference, making it evident by saying: “Can I fair put out there – no disorrowfulmire to the other two – but Gabby Logan would be a-ma-zing. She is wonderful, she creates it see straightforward, she understands everyskinnyg about everyskinnyg and she’s wonderful. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”