Mark Chapman's ex Clere Collier is said to be 'raging' after discovering his new romance with Match Of The Day co-host Kelly Cates, with friends of the couple delighted to finally see them together.
Couple go public at Mayfair party
The couple finally went public during a recent party at a Mayfair hotel on London's Park Lane after dating in secret. Chapman, 52, was said to have been 'glowing' and happier than ever with Cates, 51, at his side.
His friends had been delighted to see him so happy, given the unimaginable personal grief he had suffered over the last decade. His wife Sara, with whom he has three children, tragically died in June 2020 after being diagnosed with cancer. The couple had been together for nearly two decades.
He went on to date Dubai-based property agent Clere Collier, with the relationship seeming to go from strength to strength and they were even spotted house-hunting together in Altrincham. They unexpectedly split in April.
Friends wonder why they took so long
However, friends of Mark and Kelly are said to have wondered why it took them so long to get together.
"They're old mates who have known one another for years – nearly two decades – and now they've fallen in love," says one source, a source told Mail+. "You'll struggle to meet one person in either their work or friendship circles who isn't totally thrilled for them."
Mark and Kelly reportedly began to fall for one another in May, with the chemistry intensifying between them when they worked together in Atlanta for the World Cup. "They realised they had feelings for one another and they were both single, and it just works," a source told the publication.
Ex 'raging' after discovering romance
However, there is one person who is unsurprisingly not happy about their romance. His ex Clere is 'raging' and reportedly contacted The Sun newspaper after discovering Mark and Kelly were an item.
It is claimed that Clere was the source of the story exposing their romance after discovering the truth. She had been left devastated after Mark told her "out of the blue" that their relationship was over, despite her planning to relocate to the UK from Dubai.
"It all came as a shock to Clere when Mark told her that," a source told the publication, claiming that she had thought that they were in a good place and had wanted to take their relationship to the next level.
"She was heartbroken when he ended things," the source added. "She was not happy at all."
It is reported that Clere found out about Mark and Kelly's romance recently and had been "shocked and upset" that he had moved on so quickly.
Kelly Cates on dating after divorce
Kelly, who is the daughter of Liverpool and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish, split from TV producer husband Tom five years ago, having married in 2007 and had two daughters together.
Kelly has also appeared on Logan's podcast, The Mid Point. The broadcaster, who also works for Sky Sports, opened up on navigating the dating scene following her divorce in 2021.
"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."
She added: "I've got no real kind of thoughts about long-term relationships or anything like that. Imagine going out with somebody and you sit there half way through and think, 'God, this guy is an idiot.'"
