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Gary Lineker absolutely fine being single at 61 and feels sick at the idea of going on dating app
Gary Lineker is single and happy (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Gary Lineker has revealed that he’s ‘absolutely fine’ with being single at 61, and that the idea of joining a dating app ‘makes him feel sick’.
In a candid interview, Leicester-born former footballer ruled out the idea of joining a dating app like the very exclusive Raya, and revealed that the thought of doing so made him ‘grimace’.
From 1986 until 2006, the TV personality was married to Michelle Cockayne, and the pair have four sons together – George, Tobias, Harry and Angus.
He later wed actress and model Danielle Bux in 2009, but they split in 2016.
Speaking to the Daily Star, the Match Of The Day host said: ‘I’m happy being single now. It’s nice to be unanswerable in a slightly selfish way and I’m not actively seeking a partner right now.
‘I had two wonderful marriages and now I’m single and I’m in a good place, but that might change. I might need someone to change my nappies. Who knows?
Gary with his ex-wife Danielle, from whom he split in 2016 (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
‘The thought of going on a dating app makes me grimace. I know there’s a celebrity one called Raya, but I’ve never been on it and I never would.
‘Dating is hard enough work anyway. I just can’t imagine doing it. I don’t know how people manage it. It’s definitely not for me.’
The television personality also revealed that he’s rarely approached by women, and that when they do approach him it’s usually to reveal their ‘grandmothers’ fancy him.
Speaking to the Mirror in 2019, Lineker revealed that he split with Danielle due to the fact Gary felt ‘too old’ to start a new family.
Despite their split, they remain on great terms, and he told the news outlet: ‘We still speak three times a day, we text all the time.
‘When she comes to London she stays with me, and when I go to LA I see her.’
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The star also has a great relationship with his step-daughter, Ella, Danielle’s daughter. In November 2021, he shared a rare snap of a trip to the US to visit her, while she studied in Boston.
Sharing a photo of Ella, he wrote: ‘Finally able to travel to Boston to visit my wonderful stepdaughter Ella, who’s at BU.’
Also posting a string of autumnal photos, he added: ‘Always wanted to visit Boston in the fall/autumn. It didn’t disappoint. Stunningly beautiful city. 👌🏻.’
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