Gary Lineker is reportedly set to return to primetime television as the host of The Box, a new celebrity game show commissioned by ITV.
The format, which has been a ratings hit in Norway, will see 12 celebrities placed in individual boxes and tasked with completing a series of daring physical and mental challenges.
ITV bosses are said to be hopeful that The Box, which has been described as a hybrid of I’m A Celebrity and SAS: Who Dares Wins, will become a new Saturday night staple.
They are also keen for it to fill the gap left by Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which came to an end last year after two decades on air.
Filming for the UK version is scheduled to begin this autumn, with the series expected to launch in early spring.
“The Box is a huge success in Norway and has already been picked up in Denmark,” a source told The Sun.
“ITV are confident it will resonate with UK audiences too, and they believe Gary is the perfect frontman.
They’ve been keen to work with him for a while and believe they’ve finally found the right format,” the insider added to the publication.
The move marks Lineker’s return to weekend television just months after he left the BBC in controversial circumstances.
The former England striker, 63, stepped back from Match of the Day — which he had presented for 26 years — following a backlash over an Instagram post referencing Zionism. He later apologised, but described his position as “untenable”.
Lineker had been the BBC’s highest-paid broadcaster for eight consecutive years. Despite his May departure, he still topped the BBC’s annual salary list last month, having earned £1.35 million in the previous financial year.
His exit also led to the end of the BBC’s licensing deal with his production company, Goalhanger, which produces successful podcast titles including The Rest is Football and The Rest is History.
A celebrated former footballer, Lineker earned 80 caps for England and played for clubs including Leicester City, Everton and Barcelona before moving into broadcasting after his retirement in 1994.
