Match of the Day icon Gary Lineker discussed the difficult time he and ex-wife Michelle Cockayn endured in the wake of his son’s cancer diagnosis during an interview on ITV’s The Assembly.
The show involves celebrities being interviewed by a panel of neurodivergent or learning disabled individuals, with Lineker featuring in the final episode in a series that has seen actor Danny Dyer and pop star Jade Thirlwall answer the panel’s questions
Lineker explained his son, George, wasn’t given much of a chance during leukaemia diagnosis when he was just two months old.
The presenter became visibly moved when asked about his son, saying: "That was really tough - it changes you, he was only two months old. We got told he had leukaemia, he wasn't given much chance.
Gary Lineker (right) became visibly upset when discussing his son George's (left) cancer diagnosis
"It was really awful. We were in the hospital for around seven months with him.”
Lineker continued: ”We were the lucky ones, because there were other parents in there that lost their kids so we felt quite fortunate in the end. It was really scary.
"I felt I needed to talk about it. Michelle, she would bottle things up. But ultimately we got a good ending.”
George Lineker is Gary's eldest son
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The presenter shares four children with ex-wife Michelle, of whom George, who is now 33, is the eldest. The pair split in 2007 after 20 years of marriage.
During the show, Lineker also touched on his controversial suspension from the BBC in 2023, where he compared Suella Braverman’s asylum policy to ‘Germany in the 1930s’.
The BBC immediately suspended the presenter pending a discussion on his social media use due to an apparent breach of the BBC’s impartiality rules.
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Fellow broadcasters Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Micah Richards boycotted the show in solidarity.
He explained: “It was a crazy week and it upset me. I had all the press outside my house every minute of the day, for about five/six days.
“It got a bit silly but it was actually also lovely because the backing I got from the people I work with was beautiful."
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Gary Lineker is to leave Match of the Day this month, but still expected to present at the 2026 World Cup
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Lineker, who has presented Match of the Day for 26 years after taking over from Des Lynham in 1999, announced he was to leave the show upon the conclusion of the Premier League season in May.
He will be replaced by a team of top-end presenters: Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman. In his eyes, all three have the potential to be big hits.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Lineker said: “Those three have all got families, and if you're saying someone is going to do it for the next ten or 20 years, then your weekends are gone.
“I take it as a compliment that they've named three, but I suspect it's not due to that.
“I haven't seen them yet to speak to them, but I will do. They'll be fine and they'll do a great job. I've known them all for years, they're top presenters.”
Lineker is due to present his final Match of the Day on the last day of the Premier League season on Sunday, May 25. He is also expected to present at the 2026 World Cup.
