Mark Chapman cracked a joke about his Match of the Day appointment (Image: BBC / X)
joked that he was getting “the practice in” as he presented Match of the Day on Wednesday night. The 51-year-old has been confirmed as one of three new hosts for the highlights show, replacing .
Chapman, who often hosts Match of the Day 2 and midweek editions of the programme, will front the show from the start of the 2025-26 season. He will share duties with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan.
Breaking the ice on Wednesday’s Match of the Day, Chapman opened the show with a deadpan joke, telling viewers: “Evening, thought I’d get the practice in…”
The quip prompted laughter from guests Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. Shearer responded: “You haven’t wasted any time, have you? Six months too early!”
Chapman concluded: “It’s going to be a long night, eh?”
Speculation had been rife about Lineker’s future at the . His £1.35million salary was due to expire at the end of the football season, with 2025 his 26th year as Match of the Day’s host.
Reports claimed that the former England captain had been keen to continue for at least another year. However, it was confirmed late last year that he will step aside from Match of the Day. Lineker will continue hosting the corporation’s FA Cup coverage and he will remain in post until after the 2026 World Cup.
In a statement issued by the , Chapman said of his appointment: “I know the history of a lot of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done.”
Meanwhile, Cates is set to be the face of football from next season. She will host Match of the Day while continuing her role fronting Sky Sports’ top-flight coverage.
The 49-year-old said: “We are all friends and we’ve known each other for a long time and that’s a really lovely part of it.
Mark Chapman will share Match of the Day presenting duties with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan (Image: Getty)
“Not only is it a great role just on its own but I’m sharing it with two people I really admire, respect and genuinely like. It’s a great set-up.
“Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that’s going to be a really incredible moment. I’ve worked with a lot of the pundits before and they’re all fantastic, so I’m just looking forward to getting started.”
Logan, who joined the in 2007, added: “I think what’s interesting is although we’re sharing the role, we won’t actually be working together on Match of the Day.
“It’s really great to share it because we bring different experiences and different interests within the game. We bring different ways of broadcasting and that will mean our pundits are kept on their toes and share different kinds of analysis.”