Gary Lineker confirmed by ITV as "perfect fit" host for The Box – and here's when we can expect to see it
The former Match of the Day host will be back on our screens next year.
Gary Lineker has been confirmed as the face of upcoming ITV game show The Box, which will see its celebrity contestants sent to take on "unique" games in a bid to avoid elimination.
The former Match of the Day presenter will front a UK edition of the hit Norwegian format, which has previously been described as a blend of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here and SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Ten celebrities will compete in the series, consenting to being transported in yellow boxes to an undisclosed location, where they will have to quickly grasp the rules and techniques of an unfamiliar game.
Each week, the two lowest-performing players will go head-to-head in a segment called The Duel, which will end with one of them losing their spot in the line-up.
ITV's director of entertainment commissioning Katie Rawcliffe described Lineker as the "perfect fit" for the show, while hyping up the new format as "entertaining, exhilarating and immersive".
Lineker commented: "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."
He added: "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 Box's celebrity line-up is still to be announced, but the series will start filming before the end of the year, ahead of its targeted premiere date in 2026 – so further details could well emerge soon.
The series marks Lineker's first major new deal since leaving Match of the Day in May, after more than two decades on the sporting programme, with director-general Tim Davie calling him "a defining voice in football coverage".
The executive added: "His passion and knowledge have shaped our sports journalism and earned him the respect of sports fans across the UK and beyond. We want to thank him for the contribution he has made."
Rumours of Lineker's involvement in a new ITV format, which is hoped to fill the void left by Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, first broke earlier this week.
The Box is coming to ITV in 2026.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
