BBC Sport has confirmed the three presenters who will lead its Match of the Day coverage as Gary Lineker prepares to step aside. Footballer-turned-pundit Lineker sat in the presenting chair for the last 26 years before delivering the shock news of his departure in November.
Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates will now present the flagship show from August. Along with the usual Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 shows on Saturday and Sunday night, respectively, the trio will also present the BBC’s highlights coverage of the Champions League, which starts next season.
Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Alex Scott are among former players confirmed to remain on the panel next season. Since Match of the Day started in 1964 the show has had just five presenting teams, with Logan, Chapman and Cates set to make up the sixth.
It remains one of the most popular BBC shows, with 33 million viewers tuning in to highlights and live coverage last season. Gabby Logan, who fronts the BBC’s rugby and Olympics coverage, said: ” “It’s always a real moment [sitting in the chair] because it has such history. It’s still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TVs changed so much.
“There’s an enormous responsibility to make sure we continue to evolve while at the same time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day. People want to see the goals, they want to see the incidents, they want to see the moments everyone’s talking about, so while we can tinker at the edges, the core is the football.”
Kelly Cates will also continue her role with Sky Sports but says it will be an “incredible moment” to sit in the famous chair while the theme music plays for the first time.
Long-term BBC presenter Mark Chapman was the favourite to replace Gary Lineker due to his current role in heading up Match of the Day 2. He also presents regular shows for Radio 5 Live.
He said: “This isn’t about the three of us, it’s about the three of us plus our pundits, plus our editors, plus our analysts and stats people and production people, radio and online. Genuinely this is about all of us as a department working together.
“I know the history of a lot of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done.”