THE BOX: GARY LINEKER TO HOST NEW ITV CELEBRITY REALITY ADVENTURE SERIES

Following his exit from the BBC earlier this year, Gary Lineker is heading to ITV as host of new reality adventure series The Box.

The series was announced earlier this where when production company secured the rights to produce the UK series, based on the hit Norwegian format, for ITV. The series is due to film this Autumn and is expected to air next Spring in a Saturday night primetime slot.

The Box will see a dozen celebrities placed at mercy of The Box. Each famous face enter a box and are transferred to a different location. When the box opens at the new location, the famous faces must face whatever is in front of them - with no prior warning on what or who may be on the other side of the box or the task they will have to complete.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "They have long been sniffing around Gary and just needed to find the right format for him. They’re confident they’ve found that now, and the BBC’s loss is their gain". Lineker previously hosted ITV studio gameshow Sitting On A Fortune, which ran for two series.

ITV's head of entertainment, Katie Rawcliffe said: "The Box is an exhilarating and immersive new format, that will not only test our contestants but also invite our viewers on the ultimate TV experience, privy to the contestants’ gameplay and strategy – but will they be able to foresee the outcome?"

Aleksander Herresthal, Chief Creative Officer at Seefood TV said: "The response to The Box worldwide has been incredible—almost overwhelming in the best way. Bringing it to the UK with ITV is a major achievement and a significant next step for our format...

"From the moment I connected with ITV, I knew this would be the perfect home for the format. The creative team truly valued the content, and they challenged our ideas while they stayed true to the premise. Their insightful questions showed a deep commitment to fully understanding the concept and elevating it to new heights...

"It’s exactly the kind of collaboration you want – working with people who strive to refine and enhance an idea, shaping it into something exceptional. ITV’s passion for bold, high-energy entertainment is exactly what The Box needs, and I can’t wait to see how they make it their own."

More details will be announced in due course.