After a quarter‑century steering the BBC’s Match of the Day, Gary Lineker’s first major foray into ITV primetime arrives in the shape of The Box, a celebrity game show adapted from a Norwegian format. The programme drops ten well‑known faces into oversized yellow containers, releases them into bizarre locations and asks them to complete tasks with barely any guidance. Reviewers say the result is a scatter‑shot spectacle that struggles to find a narrative or any real sense of jeopardy.
A Curious Format That Leaves Viewers Guessing
The premise is simple on paper: each episode begins with the stars sealed inside bright yellow boxes, which are then lowered into random settings – a warehouse, a lakeside pier, a mock‑up of a market stall. Once the lids are lifted, the celebs receive a vague instruction and must figure out what to do with little more than their wits. In the opening instalment, Joey Essex smashes wooden crates to hunt for hexagonal tokens, while Graeme Souness assists Ranvir Singh in crossing a stretch of water, and Sara Davies from Dragons’ Den fumbles through a pseudo egg‑and‑spoon race. The lack of clear objectives means the audience is left wondering what, if anything, is at stake.
Critics have likened the experience to watching a series of disconnected mini‑challenges stitched together without a through‑line. The show’s producers have described it as a test of improvisation, but the execution feels more like a collection of oddball vignettes that never build momentum. Even the elimination mechanic – one contestant leaves each episode – fails to generate tension because the rules governing who stays and who goes remain opaque.
The Cast: Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Circumstances
The line‑up reads like a roll‑call of recent reality‑TV alumni and media personalities. JB Gill of JLS, Jenny Ryan – known to Chase fans as “the governess” – and Joey Essex, still clinging to his 2011 TOWIE catch‑phrase “reem”, share the boxes with former Commons speaker John Bercow, who appeared on the US version of The Traitors. Also present are football pundit Graeme Souness, Good Morning Britain’s Ranvir Singh and Dragons’ Den investor Sara Davies.
Their willingness to submit to the absurd setting has been presented as a sign of good humour, yet the tasks themselves offer little opportunity for any of them to shine. The challenges are deliberately low‑stakes, meaning that even a seasoned presenter like Lineker struggles to inject excitement into proceedings that feel more like a series of awkward ice‑breakers than a competitive showdown.
Lineker’s Steady Hand Falters in the Face of Chaos
Gary Lineker has long been praised for his calm, affable delivery – a trait that served him well on Match of the Day and in his podcast ventures. In The Box, however, his usual reassurance feels misplaced. He repeatedly tells the contestants they have “no idea where they are or what they should be doing”, a line that underscores the show’s intentional bewilderment rather than alleviating it. While his presence lends a veneer of credibility, it cannot compensate for the format’s fundamental lack of direction.
The review notes that Lineker’s move to ITV follows his departure from the BBC in summer 2025, after he apologised “unreservedly” for re‑sharing an Instagram post that contained a rat image historically used as an anti‑Sematic slur. That exit ended a 25‑year tenure and freed him up for projects such as the Netflix darts show Beat Luke Littler, which he will co‑host with Richard Osman. Yet, despite the high‑profile slate, The Box suggests his first major post‑MOTD commission may have been rushed.
What Comes Next for the Former MOTD Face?
Looking ahead, Lineker’s calendar remains busy. Aside from the darts programme with Osman, he continues to host The Rest Is… podcast network and develop content through his production company Goalhanger. The lukewarm reception to The Box may prompt a more careful selection of future television ventures, perhaps favouring formats with clearer rules and stronger narrative hooks.
For now, the show stands as a curiosity – a well‑intentioned experiment that highlights how even a dependable host can be undermined by a concept that never quite finds its feet. Whether ITV will give the series a second series or retool it for a second attempt remains to be seen, but the initial outing has certainly sparked debate about what makes a celebrity game show truly engaging.
Why it Matters
The debut of The Box matters because it marks a pivotal moment in Gary Lineker’s post‑BBC career, testing whether his star power can translate into success on a rival network. Its lukewarm reception underscores the importance of format clarity in celebrity‑led entertainment, suggesting that audiences crave more than just familiar faces – they need coherent challenges and tangible stakes. As broadcasters compete for Saturday night viewers, the show serves as a cautionary tale: even a trusted host cannot salvage a premise that leaves both participants and spectators perplexed.