Lineker ends Ant and Dec winning streak at TV awards months after antisemitism row

Former Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has won the champion TV presenter prize astatine the National Television Awards - months aft helium near the BBC pursuing an antisemitism row.

Lineker, 64, apologised "unreservedly" successful May aft helium shared a station connected Instagram astir Zionism which featured an representation of a rat - a awesome utilized to correspond Jewish radical successful antisemitic propaganda, including successful Nazi Germany.

The erstwhile England footballer said successful a connection that helium would "never knowingly stock thing antisemitic" and that helium removed the station erstwhile helium "became alert of the issue".

He announced helium was leaving the BBC days later, saying that "stepping backmost present feels similar the liable people of action".

Lineker had presented Match Of The Day since 1999 and was the BBC's highest-paid on-air endowment erstwhile helium stepped down.

Prior to the antisemitism enactment successful May, Lineker already had a estimation for sharing governmental views connected societal media - thing which went against the BBC's impartiality rules.

This included posts astir Tory migrant policy, Brexit, Qatar's quality rights grounds and a documentary astir Gaza.

Collecting his "TV Presenter Of The Year" grant past night, Lineker said: "I deliberation it demonstrates that possibly it's OK sometimes for america to usage our level to talk up connected behalf of those who person nary voice."

Lineker's triumph astatine the National Television Awards besides ended Ant and Dec's 23-year streak successful scooping the champion presenter prize.

Speaking astatine the winners' property league aft the ceremony, the erstwhile Match Of The Day big said the presenting duo, whose existent names are Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, are "brilliant" and that "it's an honour to travel successful their footsteps".

Reflecting connected beingness aft presenting Match Of The Day, Lineker added: "I'm doing great. I'm enjoying having weekends disconnected for the archetypal clip successful my big life, which has been large fun.

"I'm inactive watching loads of football, inactive doing the aforesaid benignant of things, and I've got a caller amusement coming up for ITV, which I commencement filming adjacent week - The Box, which goes out, I think, astir apt adjacent year."

Read more:
Lineker's astir arguable posts
Lineker leaves Match Of The Day

Asked if the grant proves helium has not been cancelled, helium said: "I don't deliberation anyone earnestly thought that I was cancelled astatine immoderate point.

"It was evidently conscionable a mistake and oversight. And I deliberation everyone saw it for that.

"So I was ne'er successful the slightest spot acrophobic for that."

Former England footballer Alan Shearer, a Match Of The Day pundit who worked alongside Lineker connected the show, posted connected X: "Yesssss @GaryLineker congratulations."

The erstwhile footballer besides bushed contention from The Traitors big Claudia Winkleman, This Morning's Alison Hammond and TV presenter and world prima Stacey Solomon to triumph the champion presenter prize.