'Never really enjoyed it!' - Match of the Day host Gary Lineker aims parting shot at Sports Personality of the Year as he clarifies exit decision

Lineker was the host of the SPOTY ceremony for 23 years until his final appearance last year. The departing Match of the Day presenter didn't even watch this week's ceremony, in which England star Jude Bellingham missed out on the main prize, and admitted it's the TV role that he "never really enjoyed".

During a live show of The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker expressed his disillusionment with the ceremony, citing recent changes such as a new production company and the restriction against going off script during interviews.

“People are starting to assume that it was part of my kind of termination or forthcoming termination with the BBC,” Lineker said. “But, just to make it clear, what happened with Sports Personality of the Year is that it went to an independent production company and it was granted at the start of the year. Now, I saw that as an opportunity to get out of presenting Sports Personality. It’s a great show, but it’s the one TV gig that I never really enjoyed.

“I think I share that with Des Lynam, who did it for many years as well. It’s a very strange show to do. Also, it’s the one thing where every single word that you say on it has to be agreed by all parties at the BBC. Every single interview you do, you have to say what questions you’re going to ask. I mean, I like to ad lib, I like to go off piste. You can’t do it [on] Sports Personality, not in recent times. Every nominee had to have exactly the same time of interviewing, so as to be impartial and fair.

“It was purely that. So, it was February, and it’s nothing to do with my recent announcement. There were four presenters, and four presenters is too many for that show anyway. There you have it.”

Lineker will also stand down from Match of the Day at the end of the season, but he needn't worry; his Goalhanger Podcasts empire is dominating the charts.