Potential surprise replacement for Gary Lineker rumoured as BBC gears up to select new Match of the Day presenter
An unexpected contender has thrown their hat into the ring to take over from Gary Lineker ...
An unexpected contender has thrown their hat into the ring to take over from Gary Lineker as the new host of Match of the Day.
Lineker - ranked at No.45 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Barcelona players of all time - recently announced his decision to leave the show, bringing an end to a role he has down for close to three decades in total.
Speculation has since heightened as to who the BBC could turn to next, with names such as Mark Chapman and Alex Scott just two of the early frontrunners for the job.
Reshmin Chowdhury being considered as a potential replacement for Gary Lineker
A name that may not be familiar to most, BBC's Reshmin Chowdhury has been tipped as Lineker's replacement on Match of the Day, according to a report recently from MailSport.
The 46-year-old was previously courted by the BBC's Director of Sport Alex Kay-Jelski when he worked for The Atheltic, but nothing was agreed. However, a new opportunity to work on football's biggest programme could now be a potential avenue.
Often seen on TNT Sports and the BBC for major sporting events like this summer's European Championships, Chowdhury has a plethora of experience in TV and could now look to land the biggest job of her career to date.
Huge gigs have been the co-hosting of the Champions League draw since 2017 and the draw for the 2022 World Cup alongside TV star and DJ extraordinare Idris Elba.
Get FourFourTwo NewsletterContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The BBC are not expected to make a decision for a few months whilst Lineker himself recently admitted he does not know who will replacement him in time for the start of the 2025/26 season.
"Obviously, I don't know who it'll be, and I would never tell publicly my preference, I don’t think that’d be the right thing to do – but whoever it is, I would say be yourself," said Lineker recently.
"I had to fill the ginormous shoes of certain Des Lynam. I would say just be yourself and enjoy it, it's a wonderful programme to be a part of. It was brilliant before I took over, and it will be brilliant after I leave."
In FourFourTwo's opinion, Chowdhury isn't the name we were imagining when predicting the next host of Match of the Day, in all honesty. The role needs someone to make it their own and have that sparkle that Lineker often provides, we just don't know if it is the right step.
