Gary Lineker has confessed that he is "done" with romance and has no intention of moving in with another woman. The former Match of the Day presenter, who has been divorced twice, admitted he is too stubborn and selfish to share his home.
Lineker Opens Up About Love Life
Speaking on Louis Theroux's podcast, Lineker said: "I like being on my own. I've got so accustomed to it now and being slightly selfish, but unanswerable to anyone. I'm absolutely happy on my own... Me and a dog. But my boys are always around."
When asked about future relationships, he explained: "No, I think I'm done. I don't know, you never know, but I just can't imagine actually living with someone again."
The 65-year-old also joked about his "physical needs," saying: "You get to a certain age where it's so much effort." He added: "It might change, but you know, I love women's company. I've got a lot of friends that I go out to dinner with."
A History of Marriages
Lineker was married to Michelle Cockayne for 20 years before their divorce in 2006. The couple share four grown-up sons: George, Harry, Tobias, and Angus. He later married Danielle Bux in Italy in 2009, but that marriage also ended after six years. Despite the split, they remain on good terms and have been seen dining together.
Departure from BBC
Lineker stepped down as Match of the Day host in May 2025 after 26 years, following controversy over his political comments on social media. A dispute arose from an Instagram post about Zionism featuring an image of a rat, which some viewed as antisemitic.
Reflecting on his exit, Lineker said: "I think the BBC's problem... they're so obsessed with trying to placate or appease or keep happy the Daily Mail type newspapers... And then from them asking for me to apologise, they end up apologising."
He added: "That one I felt bad about because that was my mistake... I could see why some people would be upset by that. So I felt bad about that and was happy to apologise."
Lineker compared his relationship with the BBC to a marriage: "We'd been together for a long time and we were starting to run out of love for each other. I'll always love the BBC. It's an amazing corporation. I was going anyway, but we just brought it forward."
World Cup 2026
Lineker has taken his podcast The Rest Is Football to Netflix for the World Cup 2026, producing a daily TV show with co-hosts Micah Richards and Alan Shearer. The trio will cover matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Regarding the tournament's political backdrop, Lineker said: "In terms of football, I'm looking forward to it. But the world's a little bit bonkers at the moment, particularly over the pond... America's been attacking one or two countries, which will make it interesting. But I find from my experience of these World Cups, that once it starts, we concentrate on football and all is well with the world."
