BBC World Cup viewers are just realising that Mark Chapman's real first name isn't Mark. Viewers are discovering there's more to Mark Chapman than they knew.
Mark Chapman's Real Name Revealed
For the first time in a long time, Gary Lineker is not the face of the BBC's World Cup coverage. In his place, a rotating trio of Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman have taken up hosting duties. Yet while most BBC viewers know the latter as Mark, many will be unaware that this isn't actually his real name. In fact, he goes by an entirely different first name in real life.
Chapman launched his broadcasting career in the mid-1990s and has since cemented his status as one of the most familiar voices on radio and faces in sports television. Having covered some of the biggest events in sport, including FIFA World Cups, Olympics, The Masters and the Premier League, Chapman was unveiled as part of the trio taking over from Lineker on Match of the Day.
Affectionately Known as 'Chappers'
Well known for his straight-talking Lancastrian charm, Chapman has been affectionately dubbed 'Chappers' throughout the vast majority of his broadcasting career. However, the Manchester United supporter's actual first name is Andrew rather than Mark. That said, Mark is his middle name, which goes some way towards explaining why he may have chosen to adopt it professionally.
Social Media Reacts
BBC viewers were left astonished following this discovery, with fans flocking to social media to voice their shock. Speaking on X, one remarked: 'Hold on... his name's Andrew? Since when??' Meanwhile another quipped: 'I've been calling this man Mark for years. Turns out we've been on a nickname basis the whole time.'
Chapman's Pride in New Role
Chapman has embraced his position as one of the Match of the Day presenters and spoke of his pride after being hired for the role. He, Logan and Cates are all part of the Beeb's World Cup coverage. He said at the time: 'This isn't about the three of us, it's about the three of us plus our pundits, plus our editors, plus our analysts and stats people and production people, radio and online. Genuinely, this is about all of us as a department working together. I know the history of a lot of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do feel honoured to be following in the footsteps of the people that we are following in and respectful of what they have done.'
