Gary Lineker says he might kick off a career as a TV chef, if Nigella Lawson was willing to be his coach.
The BBC football presenter and keen cook, 61, was approached by telly bosses after posting pictures of his efforts on Twitter but insists he is only an amateur.
He said: “If I ever did a cooking TV show it would only be with chefs. Where I could actually learn something with proper chefs. Nigella teaches Gary to Cook?’ Now there’s an idea.”
The star also said he has turned down offers to create a cookery book.
He said: “I’m a good cook. I’m getting better, but I’m not a chef and if I did a book or a cooking show I’d feel a fraud.
“Somebody once asked me on a Tweet, ‘Why don’t you do a cooking show or a cookery book?’ and I said, ‘No, I’m not a chef.’ And, funnily enough, Nigella and another famous chef immediately liked my reply.
“I don’t think they were relieved that I wouldn’t be competition. I think they probably thought, ‘We don’t want another celebrity doing a cookery show’.
“All I am is a cook with five or six-years’ experience since I started from scratch.”
The former Spurs, Everton and Barcelona striker also tweets about politics but says: “I’m interested in politics, but I’ve never wanted to be a politician. I’m interested in football, but I never wanted to go and do something on FIFA.”
Gary still loves working on shows such as Match of the Day alongside the likes of Alan Shearer and wants to continue for as long as he can.
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He said: “Alan said the other day, ‘Gary, you’re about in the 80th minute’, which is a bit harsh. I’d prefer to say that I’m in the 61st minute. My ambitions? To get to the 62nd minute and hopefully score a few injury time goals in the 92nd.”
Gary, dad to George, Harry, Tobias and Angus, says he’s not naturally a snappy dresser.
Although he has a stylist, Joe Ottaway, and now his own range of glasses.
He said: “My sons think my fashion sense is rubbish but working in TV with well-dressed people has made me up my game. Footballers have always been into clothes and can be quite metrosexual. Some are quite flamboyant and edgy.
“I think I might be ahead of Robbie Savage but maybe behind Micah Richards and Jermaine Jenas.”
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