New Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan has made a veiled swipe at her predecessor Gary Lineker.
Gabby, 52, is a part of the new three-person presenting line-up for the football show alongside Kelly Cates, 49, and Mark Chapman, 51, following Lineker’s departure.
The former England player, 64, who had presented Match of the Day since 1999, was forced to stand down in May after a social media furore when he shared a post that contained an anti-Semitic symbol.
Now his replacement has waded into the controversy. Asked if her use of social media would change in light of Lineker’s fall from grace, Gabby told the Radio Times: ‘I’ve been conducting myself on social media while working at the BBC for nearly two decades, so it doesn’t change anything.
‘The broadcaster is probably under the most scrutiny of any in the country because of the way it’s funded and because it’s accountable to the public. That’s how it should be. We strive to have the highest standards. Hopefully, we’ll just get on with our jobs.’
She also said that she had been subjected to abuse on social media and said she was ‘glad’ that it wasn’t available when she was starting her career.
New Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan has made a veiled swipe at her predecessor Gary Lineker in the Radio Times
Gabby Logan (L), Mark Chapman (C), and Kelly Cates (R) pose for their official MOTD photo
‘If people are just slinging mindless and ill-thought-out abuse, that’s not helping anybody,’ she said.
‘When I first went online at the 2010 World Cup, I was opening Pandora’s Box and reading awful things about myself, which is a horrible feeling at first. You have to learn how to deal with it and that takes time.’
‘I’m glad I had a few years where people actually had to get a pen out – or a quill – and write a letter and post it to the BBC.’
The new Match of the Day trio confirmed that they will be rotating presenters and not appear on-screen together, with Mark presenting the first episode of the Premier League season on Saturday.
Gabby will host Match of the Day’s Sunday night programme this week, while Kelly will host UEFA Super Cup highlights show on Wednesday and look ahead to the new Premier League season.
Mark and Gabby both say that Lineker hadn’t offered them any tips on taking over the show.
Mark said that he had recently spoken with his predecessor who explained why. He said: ‘I saw him not long ago and he said that he had been asked in an interview whether he’d given us tips. And he said, “Why? What? What on earth would I be doing phoning you three up to offer you tips? Why would I be deemed to be that arrogant to do that?’”.’
Gabby added: ‘I’m sure if Gary had something very practical he wanted to pass on, we’d all receive it gratefully. But as Mark says, he doesn’t feel he needs to. I know where the biscuits are kept.’
Their new co-presenter Kelly also hit out at the BBC Chair Samir Shah who recently told The Sunday Times that football programme should ‘should not be built around highlights. It should be built around analysis.’
Kellly said: ‘I don’t think he has a say in how it’s made. I think what people like about the show is the fact that it’s about the football – it’s about the highlights. That’s the most important thing.’
The triumvirate dressed up chic for their photoshoot ahead of the show's return.
Mark donned a grey, long-sleeved zip-up jacket with a stand collar, a plain white shirt, and dark trousers.
Gabby went for a navy blue dress with a V-neckline and what looks like a silk or satin fabric.
Lineker bade an emotional farewell to Match of the Day in March after an anti-Semitism row
Chapman allows himself a cheeky smile as he prepares to host the first show of the season
Logan will be in the chair for the second show of the campaign on Sunday evening
Bring back the good old days! Cates poses with a vintage leather ball in a tribute to the past
Meanwhile, Kelly wore a slate blue blazer matching with her pants. In one photo, she is holding a vintage-style leather football in a nod to the game's rich heritage.
According to The Telegraph, Mark - who has been a regular on the BBC for a number of years, usually anchoring Match of the Day 2 coverage on a Sunday - will be joined by the returning Alan Shearer and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Wayne has been out of management since leaving Plymouth Argyle by mutual consent on New Year’s Eve after a challenging seven-month spell in charge. It was his fourth managerial role in as many years, following stints with Derby Count , DC United and Birmingham City.
The 39-year-old has made no secret of his enjoyment of punditry since stepping back from coaching, appearing on Amazon Prime Video for Champions League coverage and joining the BBC as a guest on Match of the Day.
He will will earn £800,000 over two years with the BBC.
The tidy sum would make him among the highest earners at the organisation, with the BBC's latest annual report showing only seven people earned more than £400,000 a year.
They included Shearer, who was third on the list after taking home an estimated £440,000.
However, their earnings are dwarfed by what Lineker was on: around £1.35million per year.
Additionally, the recent report claims that Match of the Day's sister programme on Sunday will drop the '2' from its title, with the first edition of the rebranded show set to be aired this weekend.
