BBC Match of the Day plans in chaos as Mark Chapman 'rejects' job share after Gary Lineker exit

The BBC's plans to find a new host for Match of the Day to replace Gary Lineker have hit a significant snag after they were reportedly snubbed by one of their main candidates.

Lineker will be stepping away from the role at the end of the season after he agreed a new 18-month contract with the broadcaster that will majorly change his work.

He is set to continue leading the BBC's FA Cup and 2026 World Cup coverage, as well as contributing to the MOTD Top Ten podcast, but will no longer host the iconic Saturday night Premier League highlights show.

The Sun reports that the BBC intended to introduce a 'job share' system to replace Lineker, with Match of the Day 2 presenter Mark Chapman and Kelly Somers tipped for the roles. However, Chapman has reportedly rejected the proposal, causing complications for the BBC.

The report says the BBC's new director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski was keen on the idea, but a source claimed: "As soon as Gary's deal was done, Alex made it clear he wanted Mark and Kelly to replace him. It would effectively be a job share and they would rotate hosting duties between them. Mark has made it clear within the team at MOTD that this isn't something he would want to do. He doesn't want a job share, he wants Gary's role as his own, which is understandable."

"It's a headache for the BBC because they thought they'd found an easy solution. It's back to the drawing board and negotiations are ongoing."

The BBC has confirmed that Lineker is set to stay with the broadcaster until the 2026 World Cup. Their latest announcement stated: "The BBC and Gary Lineker have agreed in principle a contract extension through to the 2026 World Cup. Gary will lead the coverage of the tournament, as England once again try to land a first major trophy since 1966, the other Home Nations look to qualify and Lionel Messi aims to retain the trophy he won with Argentina.

"Gary will also host BBC Sport's coverage of the FA Cup in the 2025/26 season, 35 years on from lifting the trophy as a player. After a quarter of a century, Gary is stepping down from hosting Match of The Day at the end of this season. He will continue with the MOTD Top Ten podcast and the BBC will also host the hugely popular The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds."