Lineker reveals he is comfortable alone a decade after divorce as ITV show launches

Gary Lineker has spoken candidly about his personal life, revealing he has been largely single since his divorce from Danielle Bux a decade ago and no longer feels the need for a romantic relationship.

The 64-year-old former England striker told The Observer that he has grown comfortable with independence, saying: “I’ve become very comfortable being unanswerable to anyone. Call that selfish if you want — I don’t feel I need someone in my life.”

Lineker acknowledged there have been occasional dates and brief relationships since the split, but said his interest in intimacy has faded with age, attributing the change to lower testosterone levels. He did not rule out a future relationship entirely, saying he would be open to what he described as a “thunderclap.”

Despite the quiet romantic front, Lineker’s professional life is flourishing. His production company Goalhanger, which he co-owns, has been named Britain’s fastest-growing business by the Sunday Times and carries a valuation of £100 million. The company produces four of Spotify’s current top nine podcasts, including his own show The Rest is Football.

Lineker departed the BBC’s Match of the Day in 2025 after more than two decades as its lead presenter. He is now set to host The Box, a new game show on ITV launching on Saturday, 5 September.

The former Leicester, Everton and Barcelona forward has been married twice. He has four sons — George, Harry, Tobias and Angus — with his first wife Michelle Cockayne, whom he married in 1986. His second marriage, to model Danielle Bux, took place in Italy in 2009 and ended in separation in early 2016.

Lineker has previously described remaining close to Bux following their divorce, saying in 2019: “Danielle and I are best mates — we still speak three times a day, we text all the time.”