Mark Chapman's joke about Gary Lineker, football team he supports, BBC Match of the Day pay
Mark Chapman will host the first Match of the Day show of the new Premier League season. The 51-year-old will share hosting duties with Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates this campaign after Gary Lineker's exit.
The BBC flagship will have a new permanent host for the first time since 1999 this term after former England striker Lineker stepped down, ceasing all involvement with the organisation from the end of last season after sparking an antisemitism row with a social media post.
Lineker's exit was announced in November last year, and it was confirmed in January that ex-MOTD 2 host Chapman, renowned presenter Logan and former Sky Sports star Cates would rotate to fill his shoes. Chapman will take the reins on Saturday, and Mirror Football takes a look at his life away from the screen, including where his footballing loyalties lie and how much he earns.
Mark Chapman's Gary Lineker joke
Although Saturday will be Chapman's first show as permanent host, as per PA, with colleague Logan taking on the Sunday rendition, he is no stranger to fronting MOTD.
Chapman's role with MOTD 2 often saw him host the midweek editions of the show, and an appearance in January saw him crack a joke amid the announcement of Lineker's exit.
The 51-year-old opened the broadcast alongside Micah Richards and Alan Shearer with a witty allusion to his upcoming role, declaring: "Evening, thought I'd get the practice in…"
His co-stars couldn't help but chuckle at the admission, with Shearer exclaiming: "You haven't wasted any time, have you? Six months too early!" Chapman retorted: "It's going to be a long night, eh?"
What football club does Mark Chapman support?
Former host Lineker did not hide his love for boyhood side Leicester City, for whom he began his footballing career. He played over 200 times for the Foxes from 1978 until 1985.
Chapman, who is not an ex-pro, having started life with the BBC in 1996 as a community announcer, also has an affinity for a top English side in Manchester United.
Born in Rochdale, Chapman told the iPaper in 2018: "It's not my fault that I support a big team! I had to put up with a lot of poor, if at least entertaining, stuff in the 1980s. I am a genuine Manchester United fan."
After the Red Devils endured a difficult 15th-placed Premier League finish last season, with some dismal results, Chapman explained on a 2025 appearance on the game show Catchphrase: "By the time we go on air, I've had enough time to stop being a sore loser. So by then I'm fairly impartial."
How much does Mark Chapman earn?
Lineker was renowned for being one of the BBC's highest-paid staff members during his time with the organisation. It was reported that he took home roughly £1.75million last year before stepping down.
Colleague Shearer was also a top earner last year with a reported salary of £440,000, though Chapman earns considerably less than the two former England strikers.
Over the course of the 2021/22 season, Chapman earned roughly £250k, and his salary was boosted the following term to around £325k.
During the 2023/24 season, Chapman took home somewhere in the region of £260k for his coverage on Radio 5 Live, MOTD 2, the Challenge Cup, the Euros and Olympic Games.
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