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GARY Lineker is to return to Saturday night telly — hosting a new ITV game show called The Box, which sources say will infuriate his old BBC employers.
News of Lineker’s new deal comes three months after the England footy legend was forced to step back from the BBC amid accusations of anti-Semitism.
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His new show will see 12 celebs put in boxes and given daring challenges, and is touted as the successor to Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
ITV are said to have been keen on signing him for some time – and bosses think they have found the ideal vehicle.
A huge hit in Norway, The Box sees a dozen celebrities placed in separate boxes, each with a daring challenge to complete.
It has been described as a cross between I’m A Celebrity and SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Read more on Gary Lineker
A source told The Sun: “The Box is massive in Norway, and the rights were quickly sold to Denmark and now the UK.
They have long been sniffing around Gary and just needed to find the right format for him.
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“ITV are really excited about it – and believe they have finally found a worthy successor to Saturday Night Takeaway.
“They have long been sniffing around Gary and just needed to find the right format for him.
“They’re confident they’ve found that now, and the BBC’s loss is their gain.”
A TV insider said: “The scheduling hasn’t yet been confirmed but filming takes place in the autumn, and the series is due to air early spring.
“It looks likely to get a Saturday night slot though, but obviously it’s all still to play for.”
Ant and Dec’s long-running show ended in April last year – and ITV have struggled to replace it.
Lineker had been a fixture on BBC Saturday night screens for 26 years as host of Match of the Day.
For the past eight years, he has been the BBC’s highest paid broadcaster.
Last month he still topped its annual pay league, earning £1.35million.
He was due to quit the BBC after next summer’s World Cup but was forced out in May after sharing a controversial post about Zionism on Instagram.
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The dad of four — who had previously faced a string of controversies at the BBC — apologised but accepted his position was “untenable”.
His contract’s termination included the BBC licensing deal for his hugely successful Goalhanger podcast titles, The Rest is Football and The Rest Is History.
The former Leicester, Everton and Barcelona striker won 80 caps for England.
He then moved full-time into broadcasting after his retirement in 1994.
His new show The Box has been watched by more than a million people in Norway — a fifth of the population.
