Gary Lineker on single life as he steps down from Match of the Day

Gary Lineker is relishing his single status. The seasoned Match of the Day host is a household name thanks to his illustrious footballing career and expertise, but is set to step down from his MOTD presenting duties at the season's close, though he will stay with the BBC until the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.

When not in the studio, Gary, who pockets a cool £1.35million annually from the BBC, unwinds at his London home alongside his four sons. The former England striker, twice married fathered all his boys with Michelle Cockayne, with whom he tied the knot in 1986 and split two decades later, reports the Mirror.

In 2007, he struck up a romance with Danielle Bux, 20 years his junior, and the couple got married in a romantic Italian setting. However, after six years together, they parted ways in early 2016, reportedly over disagreements about expanding their family.

Back in 2019, Gary shared insights into their enduring friendship: "Danielle and I are best mates, we still speak three times a day, we text all the time. When she comes to London, she stays with me, and when I go to LA, I see her."

The Leicester legend has been single for a while now and has shed some light on his single life. Back in 2021, he admitted that he was unbothered about intimacy, conceding he was at an age where his testosterone levels had dropped

More recently, he's claimed bachelorhood suits him just fine, with his career and his boys filling up most of his diary. Chatting to The Times, Gary shared: "I like being on my own... I don't feel lonely. I have the odd date here and there, but nothing, not in terms of a long relationship. I've been married most of my adult life. Two really good marriages, I'm friends with both."

The football legend spoke warmly about his ex Danielle, labelling her 'best mate' and shunned any probing into his private affairs. Making his stance clear, he stated: "I am still single. I am not going down that route! I have been there before and tried to explain myself and I got slaughtered by my friends."

Additionally, he shrugged off the notion of jumping on the online dating bandwagon, firm in his decision to avoid having his sons create a digital dating footprint for him.

Since parting ways with Gary, Danielle bid farewell to single status after getting married to Nate Greenwald, a stateside legal eagle specialising in showbiz, back in 2019. Their family has since grown with the arrival of their little girl Romy, now aged four.

Despite the end of their marital journey, Danielle and Gary often unite for family occasions. This past Noel, Danielle graced social media with a snapshot featuring Gary and her older daughter Ella, whose dad is previous partner Adam Willis.

She marked the occasion with the caption "Our annual Christmas dinner", and Gary proudly echoed the sentiment by sharing the snapshot alongside his comment, "Always a delight". The celebrated sports presenter has previously spoken about maintaining a connection with his ex, and he has mentioned that Danielle's current partner harbours no 'jealous' sentiments about their contact.

Speaking to Radio Times, Gary said: "He's not got a jealous bone in his body," adding, "We get on really well. We go out for dinner when I'm in LA. It might be unusual and people might go, 'That's weird' but, frankly, I don't care. What is normal? Is it better to get divorced and end up fighting, screaming and shouting? Or is it better to get on if you can?".