Holly Willoughby and Alex Scott hit the town for an ultra glam night out in the capital on Tuesday.
Alex's night out on Tuesday came amidst speculation that the former Arsenal ladies ace could be replacing sacked Gary Lineker as the host of BBC's Match of the Day. The former England star, 63, is leaving the BBC flagship sports show after 25 years at the end of the current season, the BBC has announced.
Despite this, he will continue to front the FA Cup coverage in the 2025/26 season and the World Cup in 2026. He will also continue to work on the MOTD Top Ten podcast, while the BBC will also host his The Rest is Football podcast on BBC Sounds.
Alex, 40, has rose to stardom in punditry as of recent, kicking off her media career with the likes of Soccer AM, BBC Sport, BT Sport and Sky Sports. She became the lead presenter of Football Focus in May 2021 after the departure of Dan Walker, but she has also worked on Match of the Day.
She has previously stepped into Gary's shoes, most recently back in March - and has also covered matches at major international tournaments. But the speculation around her possible career move appeared to be at the back of her mind as she stepped out with Holly at a private dinner party held at the swanky Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair, London.
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TOT/GoffPhotos.com)Image:
TOT/GoffPhotos.com)Jess Glynne's girlfriend stepped out in an oversized white fur coat as she commanded attention from onlookers. Alex stunned in a 1970s inspired sparkling gown and matching head piece as she braved the chilly temperatures which have swept across the nation. Alex and Gary share a healthy working relationship, she also refused to work during a period of time in support of the broadcaster. Last year, she announced she wouldn't host the midday football programme in support of Gary.
The programme was later pulled from the schedule. At the time, the BBC said that Gary would be "stepping back" from his role as host of Match of the Day following comments he made on social media in which he criticised the government's Migration Bill. He likened the bill to 1930s Germany and the organisation took the decision to stand him down from his role.
However, it wasn't a decision that was met well by his colleagues and sparked a major backlash. A number of them, including Alex, opted to boycott the weekend's broadcast, before Gary was reinstated. Alan Shearer and Ian Wright were also among those making a stand at the time.
Alex tweeted her stance: "I made a decision last night that even though I love doing football focus and we have had an incredible week winning an SJA award that it just doesn’t feel right going ahead with the show today. Hopefully I will be back in the chair next week…" Neither Alex nor Gary has addressed the speculation surrounding her potentially taking over from him on Match of the Day.
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PA)Gary said: I'm delighted to continue my long association with BBC Sport and would like to thank all those who made this happen."
Meanwhile, Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: "Gary is a world-class presenter, and we're delighted that he'll lead our coverage of the next World Cup and continue to lead our live coverage of the FA Cup. After 25 seasons Gary is stepping down from MOTD. We want to thank him for everything he has done for the show, which continues to attract millions of viewers each week. He'll be hugely missed on the show but we're so happy he is staying with the BBC to present live football."
Lineker has been at the helm for MOTD since 1999, replacing the legendary Des Lynam. The star was due to be out of contract in May 2025 but has now agreed a new 18-month deal. As first reported by the Sun, Lineker will take a substantial pay cut compared to his current £1.3million salary. But the agreement will only see him present Match of the Day for six more months before the leaving the BBC entirely in July 2026. His final bow is set to be hosting their live coverage of the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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