Fresh row at the BBC as Mark Chapman ‘refuses to share Match of the Day job with female co-presenter’ after it was revealed Gary Lineker will leave the show at the end of the season

A new row has broken out at the BBC over who will replace Gary Lineker as Match of the Day presenter, with frontrunner Mark Chapman reportedly rejecting job-sharing plans.

Lineker, 63, confirmed yesterday that he would leave the flagship football show at the end of the season after 25 years as host – despite apparently volunteering to give up £350,000 of his £1.35million salary to to stay in the role.

BBC Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski is determined to revamp the show and has apparently rejected Lineker’s offer, sparking a race to replace him.

Kay-Jelski is said to have suggested to Chapman, the current host of Match of the Day 2, that he share presenting duties with 33-year-old Kelly Somers.

However, the 51-year-old has flatly refused a Match of the Day job share, it is claimed.

Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman is a front-runner to take over from Lineker

However, reports claim Chapman is reluctant to swap the role with Kelly Somers (pictured)

“As soon as Gary’s deal was done, Alex made it clear he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him,” the source said. The sun.

“It would basically be a division of labor and they would alternate hosting duties between them. Mark has made it clear within the MOTD team that he would not want to do this.

‘He doesn’t want a division of labour, he wants Gary’s role as his own, which is understandable. It’s a headache for the BBC because they thought they had found an easy solution.

“It’s back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing.”

Kay-Jelski has been branded ‘the hatchet man’ behind the scenes at the BBC, sources told MailOnline last month, and played a key role in the ouster of Jermaine Jenas following his sexting scandal.

According to an insider, the director believes that Lineker’s name no longer carries as much weight as it used to. salary as ‘excessive’ and has privately admitted that Match of the Day viewers would tune in regardless of the presenter.

“He’s been at the helm of Match of the Day for over 25 years, so the show is in need of a change, and Kay-Jelski is the man ruthless enough to trigger one,” the source said last month, confirming the correctly predicted yesterday’s outcome.

‘His brutal dismissal of Jenas shows he is not afraid to make big decisions and has no qualms about potentially upsetting Lineker. There is a feeling within Match of the Day that a new era is dawning and that Lineker will be the biggest victim.’

Lineker’s contract expires at the end of the season but has been given an 18-month extension

MailOnline previously revealed that the BBC had apparently prepared a press release announcing Lineker’s immediate departure from Match of the Day.

Kay-Jelski was the alleged author of the email, having only started his role as head of sport in April.

He dismissed Jenas, who by some reports was in line to step into Lineker’s shoes at the helm of the flagship football show.

In light of rumors that Jenas had sent sexually inappropriate text messages to younger female colleagues, Kay-Jelski launched an investigation into the matter and ruthlessly fired Jenas in a video call while he was on vacation with his family.

Once the decision was made, Kay-Jelski sent a short email to the entire BBC sports staff, announcing: ‘Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that Jermaine Jenas is no longer working for the BBC. Thanks Alex.’

Insiders say he was equally tough in negotiations with Lineker over the extension of his current contract, which expires at the end of the football season.

It is understood Kay-Jelski was irritated by Lineker’s often outspoken comments on his non-BBC podcast which he co-hosts with MOTD colleagues Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, and which is produced by his own lucrative company Goalhanger.

Lineker sparked controversy this summer after describing England’s performance in the early stages of Euro 2024 as ‘s***’

Source claims Chapman ‘doesn’t want a division of labor, he wants Gary’s role as his own’

Despite being banned, Lineker has struck a new money-making deal with the BBC to stream his hugely lucrative The Rest is Football podcast on the BBC Sounds app.

The footballer-turned-pundit has been the show’s regular presenter since 1999, but he will end his 25-year stint on the Saturday night program as the £1.35million-a-year host at the end of this season.

Lineker, a lightning rod for criticism of its impartiality in recent years and who was seen walking his dog this morning, will leave the company altogether after the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States at the age of 65, as first reported by MailOnline in October.

In a 21-word statement, which made no mention at all of leaving Match of the Day, he said: ‘I am pleased to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank everyone who made this possible.’

The statement read: ‘The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup.

‘Gary will lead coverage of the tournament as England look to once again win a first major trophy since 1966, the other home nations look to qualify and Lionel Messi looks to retain the trophy he won with Argentina.

‘Gary will also host BBC Sport’s coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025-26 season, 35 years after lifting the trophy as a player.

‘After a quarter of a century, Gary will step down as host of Match of The Day at the end of this season. He will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.”

Former director general Greg Dyke said today that Lineker’s penchant for giving personal opinions would have been “in the minds” of the BBC when they decided on a new presenter.

“At the end of the day, people watch Match Of The Day for football,” he said.