Gary Lineker keeps promise to present Match of the Day in his underpants

BBC presenter follows through on promise after Leicester’s Premier League title victory

Gary Lineker presenting Match of the Day in his underwear after he vowed to do so if underdogs Leicester City won the Premier League. Photograph:  Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire
Gary Lineker presenting Match of the Day in his underwear after he vowed to do so if underdogs Leicester City won the Premier League. Photograph: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire

Gary Lineker delivered on his promise to present Match of the Day in his underwear as the show kicked off for another season

The former England striker had to strip down to his pants after last season claiming he would do so if boyhood club Leicester won the title.

A Tweet from Lineker on December 14th, 2015 said he would “do the first MOTD of next season in just my undies” if the Foxes, at the time shock title challengers, saw the job through.

They did, of course, meaning Lineker had to back up his words.

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Fifteen minutes before the show started on BBC One, Lineker tweeted “this is strangely terrifying”.

The show was introduced as "here's a man in his pants" and, after the title credits, Lineker appeared on the set, close to the camera, sporting a pair of white boxer shorts carrying the Leicester badge and nothing else other than a microphone round his neck, with studio guests Alan Shearer and Ian Wright laughing in the background.

Lineker then introduced Leicester’s game at Hull, which the champions lost 2-1.

There was huge social media interest over what Lineker was wearing and the reaction was positive, although fellow Match of the Day presenter Dan Walker joked: "4000 sits ups a day for 20 seconds on telly. Well played Gary Lineker. Were they pants or shorts though?"

When the Leicester game finished and the show returned to the studio Lineker remained stripped in his chair.

However, after the second game of Manchester City against Sunderland, the 55-year-old was fully clothed, wearing a light blue shirt with dark blue trousers.