Gary Lineker has been hosting the BBC's Match of the Day for the past 25 years. However, the presenter recently announced he was leaving the show after several months of rumours. He will be handing off his hosting position at the end of the football season, in May 2025. BBC has not yet confirmed who will take over, but most reports have hinted that this Sky Sports presenter could be leading the race.
Discover our latest podcast
The news of Lineker's ending contract has come as a huge dissapointment to many of his fans, however they'll be happy to know that the famous footballer will be staying on the screens at least until 2026. Indeed, it has been confirmed that Gary Lineker will be staying on BBC to present the 2026 World Cup.
Now Gary has undoubtedly had an impressive career, both on and off the field, but now take's turn the lens and zoom into another area of his life that has also had its fair share of ups and downs—his love life.
Here's all the women he has dated and married in the past.
Gary Lineker has been married twice
As well as his public position on the BBC, which earns him quite the salary, Gary Lineker is also exposed to the limelight due to his personal life.
Gary Lineker's marriage to Michelle Cockayne
Gary Lineker married beautician Michelle Cockayne in 1986. The couple welcomed four children together, all boys: George, Harry, Tobias and Angus. After twenty years together, they announced they were getting a divorce, due to 'unreasonable behaviour' from Gary Lineker, according to his now ex-wife. She claimed her ex-husband's actions over the course of their marriage caused her 'stress and anxiety', according to Hello!. During their years spent as a married couple, Gary Lineker and Michelle Cockayne had to endure several bumps in the road, especially when their son George was diagnosed with life-threatening disease as a baby.
Talking to the Mirror, the former Barcelona striker recalled the most anxiety-inducing moment of his life. When his son George was only two months old, he was diagnosed with leukaemia, a deadly form of blood cancer. As an infant, he had to spend seven months being taken care of at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.
Michelle Cockayne spent every day with her son, and she slept in his room at the hospital, while Gary Lineker came after his training every day. When he was finally in remission, George still had check-ups at the hospital all the way up to adulthood, as leukaemia can come back at any time. Gary Lineker spoke about how the illness affected his relationship with his four sons. He said, as quoted by WalesOnline:
Always in that period - George is our eldest but we had three other kids as well - when they get colds or don’t feel well or get a poorly tummy or a sore throat you don’t think anything of it but for George, for those few years after treatment, every time he had a cold or anything, you think: ‘He’s not is he?'
Gary Lineker's marriage to Danielle Bux
In 2007, Gary Lineker officially started dating model Danielle Bux after being set up on a blind date. Despite their 20-year age gap, the couple tied the knot two years later in Italy. They started their life as a blended family, with Danielle Bux's daughter, Ella, and Gary Lineker's four sons. The family made it work for several years until the couple announced they had decided to get a divorce in 2016. While they did not give an official explanation for their separation at the time, a source close to the couple claimed they had different ideas about starting a family together.
Gary Lineker and Danielle Bux remain good friends to this day, despite the end of the seven-year marriage. The BBC presenter explained how he feels about his second ex-wife. He said:
Danielle and I are best mates, we still speak three times a day, we text all the time. When she comes to London she stays with me, and when I go to LA I see her.
During this interview, he also implied that his ex-wife's desire to have more children was possibly one of the reasons for their split. He explained:
Obviously I would have done, but she said, 'It's not fair on you.' Then I said, 'Well, I'd feel terrible if I stop you doing it.'
Who is Gary Lineker dating now?
Danielle Bux went on to marry Nate Greenwald, with whom she shares a daughter. Since his divorce from Danielle Bux in 2016, Gary Lineker has not officially appeared with anyone, although there have been some rumours. In 2019, the BBC presenter was pictured partying alongside chef Gizzi Erskine, sparking the rumour mill. However, both parties have said there is no romantic relationship between the two. In 2022, Gary Lineker opened up about his love life while talking to The Times, explaining he likes being single for now. He said:
I like being on my own. I know it sounds a bit mad.
He explained being surrounded by friends and family was enough for him at the moment. Gary Lineker went on to say:
I have lots of company. I've got lots of friends and I've also got my boys who come around a lot and I cook for them. I don't feel lonely. I have the odd date here and there, but nothing, not in terms of a long relationship.
The BBC presenter is taking some time for himself, as he told the Times:
I’ve been married most of my adult life. Two really good marriages, I’m friends with both. Danielle's kind of my best mate, so I have that female connection with her. I’m not saying whether it’ll change. It might do. But at the minute I’m very comfortable.
While he has never confirmed any relationship since his second divorce, Gary Lineker was pictured with a mysterious woman in November 2024. The BBC presenter was seen on the pavement alongside Leila Bartell, a Notting Hill based artist and film producer, who is reportedly close to actress Amber Heard, right outside a West London bistro. They had a chat while waiting for their car to get home, and the pair shared an embrace before saying their goodbyes.
As reported by Daily Mail, Gary Lineker and Leila Bartell share a mutual friend, Jemina Khan. The trio was pictured together at Daniel Katz's art gallery earlier that month, for an exhibition showing off Leila Bartell's work.
Read more:
Pamela Anderson's love life: All the men she married and dated
Rufus Sewell: A look into the Scoop’s actor love life, from 2 marriages to recent engagement
Sources used:
Hello!: Inside Gary Lineker's love life: from Michelle Cockayne to Danielle Bux
Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVEHas Gary Lineker won the double? Match Of The Day star's night out with stunning artist who bears striking resemblance to his ex-wife
WalesOnline: Gary Lineker's heartbreaking admission after son George's cancer battle
Mirror: Gary Lineker's unusual set-up with his ex-wife and blunt sex admission
Times: Gary Lineker: ‘I’m happy being single now’
