Roman Kemp ‘lined up’ for Match of the Day position after Gary Lineker’s departure
Roman Kemp has been earmarked for a role at Match of the Day as part of a radical shake-up.
Gary Lineker, 63, is set to step down from his role on the flagship show after 25 years on Match of the Day. According to The Sun, BBC boss Alex Kay-Jelski wanted TV star Roman, 31, in an attempt to modernise the show.
A source told the outlet: “Match Of The Day is moving with the times and next season there will be more of a focus on digital highlights. Alex has been speaking with Roman about possibly coming on board and how it could work.
“Roman has a massive following online and is hugely popular with a younger audience thanks to his years hosting the Breakfast Show on Capital FM. He is also a huge Arsenal fan and knows what he is talking about when it comes to football.
“It is very much in the early stages but Match Of The Day is coming into a new digital age and Alex would love to have Roman front and centre.”
(Image: BBC/Pete Dadds)
Match of the Day are on the lookout for a new host after Lineker’s decision to step aside. However, Lineker will continue to host the MOTD Top Ten podcast and The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
The podcast – which also features Alan Shearer and Micah Richards – is part of Goalhanger productions, co-founded by Lineker. Lineker will also host the 2025/26 FA Cup coverage and the next World Cup.
A source told The Sun he has been “incredibly happy” at the BBC, but he wants to leave on a high “and if England win the World Cup, it doesn’t get much higher.”
Mark Chapman, Alex Scott, Micah Richards, Jason Mohammad and Jeff Stelling have also been linked for the role by various outlets.
