Gary Lineker has embarked on a surprising new chapter in his career, trading his role as the face of BBC football coverage for a string of digital and television ventures. The 64-year-old's departure from the broadcaster earlier this year ended an era that saw him anchor England matches for over two decades, but he has swiftly reinvented himself as a podcast mogul and, most recently, as host of a new ITV reality series.
Lineker's exit from the BBC came in May following a controversial social media post about the Middle East conflict, which included a rat emoji critics described as antisemitic. He later apologised, insisting he had not noticed the emoji and would never intentionally share such a message. The incident proved to be the breaking point after a series of clashes with management, including a 2023 suspension for comparing the government's immigration policy to "1930s Germany."
Away from the struggles of public-service broadcasting, Lineker has found considerable success with Goalhanger Podcasts, the company he co-founded. Its flagship show, The Rest Is Football, featuring Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, has been boosted by a partnership with streaming service DAZN, which allows it to broadcast official match highlights. The company's 13 titles attracted more than 400 million audio downloads and 85 million YouTube views in 2024, generating a £1.4 million profit.
Lineker's return to television comes with The Box, an ITV celebrity competition series blending elements of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and SAS: Who Dares Wins. Production begins later in 2025, with an expected air date of 2026. The show will feature celebrities tackling intense challenges, and one episode will include a football-themed twist, harking back to Lineker's sporting roots. An insider told The Sun: "Given Gary's association with the sport, the odds of a football-related task featuring on the series was always going to be high."
While his BBC days are behind him, Lineker's new ventures show a broadcaster unfettered by impartiality rules, embracing a more personal and commercial approach to entertainment. Whether through podcasts or prime-time television, he remains firmly in the public eye.
