Gary Lineker replacement plan takes fresh twist after host 'turns down' Match of the Day job

A new favourite has emerged for the Match of the Day host vacancy - and she has already spoken out on Gary Lineker's exit from another flagship show.

The BBC announced that the ex-Barcelona and England forward would be leaving the role, come the end of the 2024/25 season. The move sees him step back from the role that he has held since 1999.

A number of replacements have been touted since Lineker's departure was announced. Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman emerged as an early front-runner - while reports have previously suggested that the BBC wanted him to take the role in a job share with Kelly Somers - an idea that he "rejected".

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According to bookmakers William Hill, Chapman is second favourite with odds of 2/1. However, Gabby Logan, 51, has recently overtaken Chapman as the favourite to succeed Lineker, with odds of 11/8.

Logan has had a long career in broadcasting, starting with ITV and becoming a regular on the BBC since 2007. She has also hosted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards since 2013, often alongside Lineker.

Lineker will no longer host SPOTY, either, and Logan has spoken about that decision: "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," she said, as per reports from The Mirror.

When asked about Lineker's exit specifically, she said: "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."

Lorraine Kelly has, meanwhile,