Gary Lineker 'demanded millions' for huge ITV reality show before brutal rejection

Gary Lineker was tantalisingly close to securing a major reality TV deal with ITV, only for the opportunity to slip through his fingers.

The 64 year old sports legend had earlier this year declared his departure from BBC's Match of the Day, leaving his schedule wide open for new ventures.

He has previously expressed that hosting the show for over 20 years was "an absolute joy and privilege", but felt it was "the right time" to step aside and let "someone else take the helm" amidst the BBC's plans to revamp the programme.

Although he will be bowing out as the face of the football highlights show at the season's end, Lineker is set to continue gracing our screens with the FA Cup coverage in 2025/26 and the World Cup in 2026, as confirmed by the BBC.

However, it seems ITV executives were keen to lure Lineker to their network until his agent's hefty price tag reportedly put them off.

Spilling the beans on Alan Shearer and Micah Richards' The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker disclosed that he had been approached for various shows, including Celebrity Big Brother.

"Do you know last week I got requests to go on Celebrity Big Brother? " he shared with the ex-footballers. He added: "My agent sent it through, and then jokingly he replied, 'Oh, yes. Gary's fee will be £50 million! '" This cheeky counteroffer seemingly marked the end of discussions with the ITV chiefs, reports the Mirror.

Gary remarked chucklingly: "He did it completely as a joke, obviously. And they came back said, 'Oh, that's a little bit... That's not within our budget'."

It seems Gary isn't keen on joining reality TV shenanigans any time soon, as he quipped about Big Brother inquiries: "I can tell you now, don't bother asking! ".

Meanwhile, buzz is building around the potential new face for Lineker's Match of the Day role, and she has already made her voice heard. A parade of potentials have been spotlighted since Lineker's exit surfaced in the news.

Mark Chapman, anchorman of Match of the Day 2, was initially thought to be the possible successor. Rumours swirled that BBC strategists had pondered assigning the responsibility to Chapman in tandem with Kelly Somers, but Chapman declined this shared arrangement.

Despite the setback, he's still a hot candidate for the position.

William Hill's odds place him as second favourite at 2/1. Yet, there's been a fresh frontrunner in the Match of the Day host hunt, per bookmaker wisdom.

Gabby Logan, 51, has leapt ahead in the stakes, now positioned at a promising 11/8. Logan, of course, boasts an illustrious tenure in the broadcast game.

Gabby Logan has been gracing screens since 2007 across both ITV and the BBC, and notably took charge of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards from 2013. She's often joined Gary Lineker to host this prestigious event, but in a recent twist, it's confirmed that Lineker won't be sharing the spotlight with her this time around.

Speaking about her long-time co-host stepping down, Logan reflected: "It's horses for courses. It's about having the best and most relevant people to work on that show. There are good men and good women in the business."

In light of Lineker's departure, Logan was poised on the matter, stating: "The three of us have done it before, we're all experienced with SPOTY and obviously Gary decided to step down, but I think we have it covered."

The industry is already seeing support rally behind Logan for the now available spot. TV favourite Lorraine Kelly gave her vote of confidence, asserting last month: "While his [Gary's] replacement has not yet been announced it's been suggested a woman could be taking over. With Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Laura Woods among the favourites."

Kelly didn't hold back her preference, making it clear by saying: "Can I just put out there - no disrespect to the other two - but Gabby Logan would be a-ma-zing. She is fantastic, she makes it look easy, she knows everything about everything and she's wonderful. That's all I've got to say about that."