Football fans prefer Alan Shearer / Mark Chapman as potential Lineker replacements for Match of the Day

As Gary Lineker prepares to depart from Match of the Day, a new Ipsos survey reveals divided public opinion on who should fill his shoes. Fans are split on whether or not they prefer the next host to be a man, with Alan Shearer and Mark Chapman ranking as the most popular options.

• Shearer Leads the Pack: Just over one-fifth (22%) of football fans favour Alan Shearer as the next host. Mark Chapman follows closely behind with 20% support, with Alex Scott coming in third at 12%. 
• Gender Divide on Next Host: 48% of all fans would prefer a male host. 45% have no preference, while 6% would prefer a woman. This preference is more pronounced among male fans, with 52% preferring a male host versus 44% who have no preference and 4% who would prefer a woman.

Battle of the pundits 

• Among a list of football pundits, Alan Shearer enjoys the highest net favourability rating (+62), followed by Ian Wright (+52).  
• Gary Lineker himself also maintains a strong positive rating (+32) despite his impending departure.
• While all the pundits surveyed have net positive approval ratings, Jill Scott (+21) and Jamie Carragher (+11) come in at the bottom of the list.

Technical note

• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 515 online British adults aged 18-75 who described themselves as football fans. Interviews were conducted between 13th-14th November 2024.  
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.