BBC pundit Chris Sutton teased presenters Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates on live radio following reports that the pair have begun dating. The Match of the Day presenters are claimed to have started their relationship earlier this year.
Relationship reports
Chapman, 52, was in a three-year relationship with estate agent Clere Collier before their split in April. The Sun reported that Collier accused Chapman of getting close to Cates after their breakup, but the broadcaster denied any overlap between the two relationships. He was previously married to his wife Sara for 19 years, sharing three children, until her death from cancer in 2020.
Cates, 51, was married to TV producer Tom from 2007 until their divorce in 2021, with the couple having two children together. Cates and Chapman are two of the three hosts, alongside Gabby Logan, who replaced Gary Lineker on Match of the Day in 2025.
On-air teasing
The latter’s duties also include hosting the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio Five Live but he was absent from the latest show, prompting regular panellist Sutton to jokingly allude to the reports concerning Chapman and Cates’ romance. The Monday Night Club began with temporary host Alistair Bruce Ball introducing the panel, which included the former Premier League winner.
“Chris Sutton has got a rather mischievous look on his face this evening, which worries me slightly,” Bruce-Ball said. The 53-year-old could not resist a joke at Chapman’s or usual stand-in Cates’ expense. He responded: “I just wondered where our leader is this evening, where's Mark?” Bruce-Ball replied: “Mark Chapman… Not here this evening.”
“So then normally second in charge is Kelly Cates,” Sutton continued. “Where's Kelly Cates this evening?” “I don't know Chris, otherwise engaged I think,” Bruce-Ball said. “If they are not listening to the show, whatever they are up to, it is available to listen by the podcast, if that is what they want to do.”
Context and other appearances
Cates was hosting the Legend of Football awards on Monday, with Thierry Henry and Karen Carney receiving honours. Chapman and Cates do not work together on Match of the Day but did appear as a duo on Celebrity Gogglebox earlier this year.
The daughter of Liverpool and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish, Cates previously discussed the dating scene on Logan’s The Mid Point podcast. "The thought of going on a date, spending an evening with someone and at the end of it thinking, 'Well, I don't really like you', I would be so resentful of them taking up my time," Cates said. "Obviously it's vice versa, too, but I'm not really bothered about it from their perspective - bearing in mind I don't get to see the people I do like very often."
