Other stars in the running include Claudia Winkleman, Alison Hammond and Stacey Solomon and the ex England striker Gary has won a string of honours over the years
Gary Lineker is at the centre of a new storm after being shortlisted for the National Television Awards.
The star, 64, is up for the TV Presenter gong despite his exit from the BBC being marred by controversy. It is the first time he’s had a nod since 2017.
Scores of telly fans are furious he is in the running for the top prize. One said: “It feels like they are trolling us at this point.” Another said: “Oh that pillock.”
But many fans are backing him with one saying: “Good he’s shortlisted… great personality & sense of humour, and relaxed style.” And one said: “I’m not a fan but I do hope he wins.”
Another vowed to vote for him as “a small symbol of solidarity”. Former Match of the Day host Gary is likely to lose to Ant and Dec at the awards on September 10 as the duo have won the gong for the past 23 years.
Other stars in the running include Claudia Winkleman, Alison Hammond and Stacey Solomon. Gary has won a string of honours over the years including an Honorary Masters of Arts from Loughborough University but he has never won a high profile gong for presenting.
Since quitting the BBC, he has signed a big-money deal to front a new game show for rival broadcaster ITV. Gary said he “can’t wait” to helm The Box.
The format features 10 yellow containers, each housing a celebrity participant who gets whisked away to mystery destinations before being unleashed to tackle whatever challenge lies beyond the door.
Weekly episodes will culminate in The Duel, where two competitors square off in a decisive showdown that sees the defeated contestant eliminated permanently from the series.
Lineker, who had anchored Match Of The Day since 1999, delivered a heartfelt farewell during his premature BBC departure on May 26. His exit came after a social media controversy when he shared content about Zionism that included imagery of a rodent, a symbol with historical antisemitic connotations.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
