Gary Lineker has been tipped to appear on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! after he won TV Presenter of the Year at the National Television Awards, ending Ant and Dec's 23-year streak in the category.
Bookmaker William Hill on Thursday listed Lineker at 5/1 to take part in I'm A Celebrity before the end of 2026 and gave him other short odds for high-profile roles on commercial television, including 3/1 to present the 2026 World Cup final and 2/1 to front a revived version of ITV's After the News. The firm also put him at 3/1 to lead a new political programme on ITV, 6/1 to join Good Morning Britain and 10/1 to become a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
Lee Phelps, a William Hill spokesperson, said Lineker's NTA success had "strengthened his profile as one of the country’s top presenters" and that while football broadcasting remains his principal field there was growing speculation he could branch into other areas. The odds reflect commercial interest in a presenter who has remained a prominent public figure since leaving the BBC in May.
Lineker, 64, accepted the NTA award after being voted best presenter by the British public. On stage he said: "Blimey, I've won the Ant and Dec trophy. Thank you, thank you to everyone who voted for me, hugely appreciated. It's amazing." Ant and Dec posted on social media to congratulate him, writing that they were "very very happy" for the winner and calling the result "well deserved."
The win comes months after Lineker's departure from the BBC, which was announced in May after the broadcaster concluded that some of his social media posts breached impartiality guidelines. The posts included criticism of government asylum policy and a BBC documentary on Gaza. In May, Lineker apologised "unreservedly" after he shared a video titled "Zionism explained in two minutes," which used imagery recognised as historically antisemitic. He said he was unaware of the video's context and stressed his desire to speak on humanitarian issues, including the crisis in Gaza.
Lineker's career has spanned professional football and high-profile broadcasting roles, most notably as the long-time presenter of Match of the Day at the BBC. Since his departure he has remained a visible figure in British media and public life, and bookmakers and broadcasters have publicly speculated on where he might next appear.
I'm A Celebrity won the NTAs' Reality Competition category on the same night. The National Television Awards are voted for by the public and are among the most prominent annual honours in UK television, often prompting commercial offers for winners and nominees.
William Hill's markets illustrate the commercial interest in experienced presenters with established public profiles. Bookmakers commonly set odds in response to media coverage and public appetite for familiar faces in entertainment and current affairs roles. As of Thursday, neither Lineker nor ITV had confirmed any future projects beyond his NTA appearance.
The NTA ceremony also highlighted a range of winners across drama, comedy and factual categories, underscoring the event's role in reflecting popular tastes across British television. Lineker's victory in the presenter category marked a notable shift in that specific public vote after more than two decades of dominance by the duo Ant and Dec.