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IT'S KICKING OFF
Fresh row at BBC as host Mark Chapman refuses to share MOTD job with rising star after Gary Lineker quit
A source has revealed that Mark 'wants Gary’s role as his own'
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A ROW has kicked off over who replaces Gary Lineker after 25 years hosting Match of the Day — with bosses pushing for a job share.
They want Mark Chapman and Kelly Somers to take turns in the hot seat, but insiders said bookies’ pick Chappers is not a fan of the idea.
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A source said: “It’s a headache for the BBC.”
Chapman has flatly refused a Match of the Day job share.
The 51-year-old, currently hosting Match of the Day 2, made it clear he does not want to split the bigger role with Kelly Somers, 33.
BBC Sport Director Alex Kay-Jelski is keen on the sharing plan.
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But insiders said bookies’ favourite Chappers — recently named frontman for the BBC’s new Champions League highlights show — has declined the offer.
A source said: “As soon as Gary’s deal was done, Alex made it clear he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him.
“It would effectively be a job share and they would rotate hosting duties between them.
“Mark has made it clear within the team at MOTD that this isn’t something he would want to do.
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“He doesn’t want a job share, he wants Gary’s role as his own, which is understandable.
“It’s a headache for the BBC because they thought they’d found an easy solution.
Gary Lineker will stop presenting Match of the Day the end of this season at and will quit Beeb by 2027
“It’s back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing.”
BBC Sport reporter Somers is in the frame after winning fans with her Euros coverage this summer.
In recent years she has worked for Premier League Productions, BBC’s Final Score, talkSPORT, West Ham United and the Women’s Football League Show.
A spokesperson for BBC sport said: “We do not recognise at all claims of a row or disagreement about who will present Match of the Day. There will be lots of speculation in the coming days and weeks, but we will announce our future plans in due course.”
Yesterday the BBC confirmed The Sun’s exclusive story about Lineker’s departure.
Meet Kelly Somers
KELLY SOMERS is a sports presenter and reporter who has frequently appeared on talkSPORT, Premier League Productions, Optus Sport, Amazon Prime and the BBC.
Somers' media career started with AFC Bournemouth. She spent four years working in the club's media department before joining Premier League Productions as a freelance reporter.
In 2018 she presented coverage of the World Cup in Russia for Optus Sport before fronting the BBC's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup.
In August 2020 Somers became the sixth woman to present an episode of Match of the Day on BBC One. She is also a regular on Football Focus.
Her other BBC roles have included a reporter and presenter at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
As well as football, the 33-year-old mum-of-one has also presented coverage of darts.
She won over many fans with her BBC role at Euro 2024 where she worked primarily as a touchline reporter.
After the tournament, Somers shared her inspirational story of bringing her baby daughter, who she shares with fiance Max, with her to work at the tournament in Germany.
Words by Emillia Hawkins
The 63-year-old will leave MOTD at the end of the season.
He will anchor BBC FA Cup coverage in 2025 and 2026, along with the next World Cup.
In a statement, the BBC said: “After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show.
“He’ll be hugely missed on the show but we’re so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football.”
The Sun revealed Lineker, spotted walking his dog yesterday, was in talks over a new deal in September.
Insiders said he wanted a multi-year contract and offered to take a pay cut.
However, after weeks of tense negotiations, the BBC agreed only to extend his MOTD deal to the end of this season.
It is understood his new contract pays at least £500,000 less.
Lineker will continue to host the MOTD Top Ten podcast and The Rest is Football — part of his own stable of podcasts — will now be available on BBC Sounds.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The podcast attracted headlines during the Euros when Lineker described an early England performance as “s**t” — a much punchier verdict than the reaction he gave on the BBC.
The BBC declined to comment last night.
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