Gary Lineker, the former footballer and BBC presenter, has been nominated for the National Television Award for the category of best TV presenter. This comes after his departure from the BBC’s Match Of The Day earlier this year, following a controversy over a social media post he shared about Zionism.
Lineker is set to face stiff competition from the long-standing presenting duo, Ant and Dec, who have dominated this category for 23 consecutive years. Lineker left Match Of The Day in May after 26 years of service following a dispute that stemmed from a post he shared on social media, which included an image of a rat, historically used as an antisemitic symbol.
He issued a full apology for the post and confirmed he would not continue hosting the show or other major events such as the 2026 World Cup and the upcoming season’s FA Cup. It has also been announced that Lineker will host a new ITV gameshow, The Box, expected to air in 2026.
Throughout his time on the BBC, Lineker’s social media activity frequently prompted criticism from the organization. In 2023, he drew parallels between the Conservative government’s immigration policy and rhetoric from 1930s Germany, leading to his suspension and a walkout in support by his Match Of The Day colleagues.
Moreover, Lineker joined over 500 media professionals in pushing for the BBC to reinstate a documentary about the experiences of children in Gaza, which had been pulled from BBC iPlayer due to the narrator’s family ties with a member of Hamas.
In an interview following the social media controversy, Lineker defended his stance on pushing human rights issues and articulated his intention to continue advocating for such causes in the future.
The race for the National Television Award in the television presenter category will also include Alison Hammond, Claudia Winkleman, and Stacey Solomon. The awards ceremony will take place at the O2 Arena in London on September 10th and will be broadcast live on ITV.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/aug/19/gary-lineker-shortlist-national-award-best-tv-presenter-bbc-match-of-the-day
