Former footballer and television presenter, Gary Lineker, has been shortlisted for the prestigious National Television award for best TV presenter. This nomination comes a few months after his controversial exit from the BBC's flagship football show, Match Of The Day.
Lineker's departure from the BBC in May followed a row over him sharing a social media post about Zionism that featured an antisemitic insult. He issued an unreserved apology over the post and subsequently left his role early at the BBC where he was its highest paid on-air presenter. His departure meant he would no longer front coverage of the 2026 World Cup or next season’s FA Cup.
During his tenure at BBC, Lineker’s social media posts often led to criticism of the broadcaster. In one notable incident in 2023, he compared Conservative government’s rhetoric around immigration to that used in Germany during 1930s which led to his suspension and colleagues walking out in solidarity.
New beginnings with ITV
This month it was announced that Lineker had signed up to present a new ITV gameshow called The Box which will be filmed later this year in UK and is set to air in 2026.
Lineker will compete against Ant and Dec who have won this prize consecutively for 23 years. Other nominees include Alison Hammond known for her appearances on This Morning and The Great British Bake Off; Claudia Winkleman host of The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing; as well as Stacey Solomon who presents Sort Your Life Out.
Despite controversies surrounding him, Lineker remains committed towards humanitarian issues stating “You either have empathy or you don’t,” adding “I’ll definitely continue pushing humanitarian issues.” The National Television Awards (NTAs) are scheduled to take place at London's O2 on 10 September and will be televised by ITV.
