Gary Lineker: How much does the BBC pay the Match of the Day presenter?

Gary Lineker is currently at the center of a BBC impartiality dispute that led to his game of the day Co-hosts are stepping down from Saturday night’s (March 11) show.

The former England footballer – the BBC’s highest-paid presenter – tweeted a comparison of the language used to launch the Conservative government’s new asylum policy with Germany in the 1930s

Shortly afterwards, on Friday (10 March), the BBC announced that Lineker would be taking a break from presenting the football highlights program until an “consensual and clear position” on his use of social media was reached.

Linekers MOTD Co-hosts Alan Shearer and Ian Wright then retired from hosting Saturday’s show in “Solidarity,” while Micah Richards, Jermaine Jenas and Alex Scott also ruled out appearing on the show. Scott also said she would not be in attendance Focus football on Saturday.

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How Much Does Gary Lineker Get Paid?

In 2022, Lineker topped the BBC’s highest-earning list for the fifth year running, taking home £1.35million.

The year before he was paid £1.36million after taking a pay cut in 2020 from his previous salary of £1.75million. Lineker has presented game of the day since 1999, making it the longest-running host of the show.

The second highest paid BBC broadcaster last year was Zoe Ball at £980,000. Steve Wright – whose Radio 2 show ended in September after 24 years – followed with £450,000, the same amount as Linekers game of the day Co-host Alan Shearer.

Lineker’s temporary departure from game of the day has sparked divisions within the channel, with the BBC confirming Saturday’s show would go ahead without a presenter or pundits.

comment on her decision to retire Focus footballScott tweeted, “I made a decision last night even though I love my show and we had an amazing week winning an SJA [Sports Journalism Award] for Focus football that it doesn’t feel right for me to continue with the show today. Hopefully I’ll be back in the chair next week…”

Many celebrities have spoken out in support of Lineker, with DJ Fatboy Slim projecting the presenter’s face onto the screen during a show in Manchester on Friday night to thunderous applause.

Meanwhile, comedian Joe Lycett referred to his viral Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Interview – in which he claimed to be “very right-wing” – when he offered to step in and host MOTD.