Gary Lineker 'excited' to host The Box
Gary Lineker is "excited" to be hosting new ITV game show The Box.
Gary Lineker is "excited" to be hosting The Box.
The former Match of the Day anchor has confirmed reports he is set to helm the new ITV game show, which he teased will be "unpredictable and thrilling"
and he can't wait to get started.
He said in a statement: "I can't wait to host The Box.
"I've always felt right at home in the box on a football pitch, and whilst this is a different proposition, the fundamentals are similar.
"The contestants will have to quickly and masterfully work out how each game works, whilst also trying to get ahead of the competition to take control.
"It's going to be unpredictable and thrilling to watch, and I'm excited that I get to have a front row seat to all the action!"
The series, which is based on a Norwegian format, sees 10 celebrities put into boxes and transported to unknown locations, where they will be asked to undertake daring challenges before two players face off in The Duel.
ITV entertainment believe Gary - who previously hosted another ITV game show, Sitting on a Fortune, from 2021 to 2023 - is the "perfect fit" for the new show.
Katie Rawcliffe, director of entertainment, reality and daytime commissioning at ITV, added: "Gary is the perfect fit for The Box, an entertaining, exhilarating and immersive new format."
The show has been described as a cross between I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and SAS: Who Dares Wins and is expected to take the early evening slot left vacant by the end of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway when it airs next year.
An insider said: “The scheduling hasn’t yet been confirmed but filming takes place in the autumn, and the series is due to air early spring.
“It looks likely to get a Saturday night slot though, but obviously it’s all still to play for.”
Gary had been due to present next season's FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup for the BBC but stepped down early after becoming embroiled in controversy over his social media use.
And he previously said he felt it was "responsible" to step away from his BBC commitments after sharing a pro-Palestine social media post that featured an emoji of a rat – which has been used in antisemitic propaganda to represent Jewish people.
He said in a statement: "Football has been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember - both on the pitch and in the studio.
"I care deeply about the game, and about the work I've done with the BBC over many years. As I've said, I would never consciously repost anything antisemitic - it goes against everything I stand for.
"However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action."
