The former Match of the Day host says he has grown comfortable with life on his own after two divorces and has no plans to turn to dating apps.
Gary Lineker has revealed he has become so comfortable being single he struggles to imagine regularly sharing a bed with somebody again.
While insisting his close female friendships do not come with “benefits”, the former England striker, 65, opened up about his private life during an appearance on Davina McCall’s Begin Again podcast, released on Thursday (03.09.26.)
Gary, who has been divorced twice, said he briefly dated around three or four years ago but has remained single since, despite enjoying the company of a number of close female friends.
Discussing his relationship status with Davina, Gary said: “I’m single (for) quite a few years now. I dated for a while about three or four years ago and not since.”
When Davina expressed surprise, Gary said: “I have a lot of female company and companions and friends.”
After Davina raised the prospect of whether those friendships might include “benefits”, Gary rejected the suggestion.
He said: “I have a lot of female friends for company. I love female company.”
Gary added: “I really do have a lot of close friends that I see fairly frequently.”
Asked whether those friends included former partners, Gary said: “A couple, but not a lot of them.”
Davina then asked whether his former partners remained in love with him.
Gary replied: “I don’t think so. I think they suffer me. They put up with me.”
Gary was married to Michelle Cockayne for 20 years and they have four sons, George, 34, Harry, 32, Tobias, 30, and Angus, 28.
He later married Welsh actress and model Danielle Bux, with the couple separating in 2016.
Gary has previously said their differing views about having more children contributed to the end of the marriage, and the pair have remained close friends.
Discussing his current life, Gary said: “I’ve just got so comfortable being on my own. In the sense I’m not sure I could imagine regularly sleeping with someone again or not that you have to, sharing a bed.
“As you get older you tend to make a few more bathroom trips in the night and stuff like that.”
He also ruled out turning to dating apps but stopped short of saying another relationship could never happen.
Gary said: “I’m not ruling anything out. Who knows what might happen.”
The comments follow a similarly candid discussion with Louis Theroux in June, when Gary said he believed he might be “done” with relationships.
Appearing on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Gary said: “I like being on my own. I’ve got so accustomed to it now and being slightly selfish, but unanswerable to anyone.”
He added: “No, I think I’m done. I don’t know, you never know, but I just can’t imagine actually living with someone again.”
Gary’s personal revelations come during a new phase of his broadcasting career following his departure from the BBC after 26 years presenting Match of the Day, the programme with which he became synonymous after his playing career.
Single Gary Lineker reveals why he can’t imagine sharing his bed again
