Sex? I’d much rather have a nice dinner, says Lineker
HE’S still on the market following his split from his second wife Danielle.
But for any women wondering how a date night with Gary Lineker might end – prepare to be disappointed.
For the 58-year-old presenter has revealed he’s ‘not massively into sex’ and prefers flirting over dinner.
The football pundit said that despite being depicted as something of a lothario, he is ‘incredibly fussy’ and finds dating ‘hard work’.
And, conveniently, he believes lovers are not meant to stay with ‘the same person for ever, anyway’.
‘It’s a stupid and horrible thing to say in a way, but I’m not massively into sex. I quite like flirting a little bit,’ he reveals in an interview with the Times Magazine today.
‘Now that’s all I do. But then after that… This is really being honest: It’s like hard work. Going on a date and then, yes, come on, let’s do it. Do we really have to do all that? So I’ve hardly had any dates.’
He added: ‘I’ve had the odd one. But I’m straight right from the start. I say, “I don’t want a relationship; a nice dinner’s fine”.’
The former England football captain married Michelle Cockayne in 1986, with whom he has four sons – George, 27, Harry, 25, Tobias, 23 and Angus, 22.
They split after a 20-year marriage and three years later, in 2009, Lineker married former lingerie model Danielle Bux, who is 19 years his junior.
The Match Of The Day presenter claimed Miss Bux wanted children, despite agreeing with him not to, and their marriage ended in 2016.
Miss Bux has a teenage daughter from an earlier relationship but was said to be ‘desperate’ to have more children. Lineker claimed she did not want to pressure him into having a baby as he was getting older.
He said: ‘Obviously I would have done, but she said, “It’s not fair on you”. Then I said, “Well, I’d feel terrible if I stop you doing it”.’
But Lineker, who lives alone, revealed in the interview that he remains in close contact with Miss Bux – who now lives in Los Angeles and has a young daughter with her partner Nate Greenwald.
He said that although she lives in the US and has a new boyfriend, the pair chat regularly.
Lineker, who grew up in Leicester, has been out to visit Miss Bux and has even met Mr Greenwald – and given his seal of approval.
But while Miss Bux has moved on, Lineker insisted that he is still enjoying single life and going out with friends.
He also told The Times of his surprise that a Championship footballer – who had recently allegedly intended to come out as gay on Twitter – had not yet gone public.
He said he believes footballers are reluctant to come out as gay for ‘fear of the repercussions’.
Lineker said footballers should not hide who they are and that if he were an agent he would encourage them to come out as it would help others in the same position.
Lineker, who will celebrate his 60th birthday next year, has topped the BBC list of its highest earners for a second year, pocketing around £1.75million. BBC director general Lord Tony Hall claimed Lineker provided value for money.
‘It’s like hard work’