Kelly Cates has made headlines with reports of a blossoming romance with fellow Match of the Day presenter Mark Chapman, following the breakup of his last relationship. The 51-year-old, daughter of Liverpool and Scotland legend Sir Kenny Dalglish, has risen through the broadcasting ranks to lead the BBC's coverage of their flagship football show and also anchor Premier League action on Sky Sports.
Career Journey
Kelly spent two years studying for a mathematics degree at the University of Glasgow before leaving to accept a position at Sky Sports News in 1998, helping launch the channel as one of its first presenters. She later found herself interviewing players and managers as part of Setanta Sports' top-flight coverage before joining ESPN, where she co-hosted Talk of the Terrace alongside Chapman.
She covered sports news on GMTV as well as being a reporter for ITV at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the Champions League. Kelly's prominence continued to increase as she joined Channel 4 to present the London 2012 Paralympics and hosted Football League Tonight on Channel 5. Her work soon found her anchoring Sky Sports' Premier League Friday Night Football coverage.
Romance Rumours
Kelly married TV producer Tom Cates in 2007, but the couple split in 2021 after having two daughters together. She is said to be back on the dating scene, reportedly sparking up a romance with Chapman. Chapman, 52, is believed to have split from Dubai-based estate agent Clere Collier in April, who, according to The Sun, challenged him over suspicions he had become close with Kelly.
A source is said to have told The Sun there was nothing inappropriate about the Celebrity Gogglebox duo getting together, stating: "Mark admitted the relationship but insisted there was no overlap between the two women and that he hadn't cheated on her."
Personal Reflections
Kelly previously confessed to co-host Gabby Logan on a podcast that she felt anxious about the prospect of dating, revealing: "I don't have a picture in my head of why a middle-aged, slightly overweight mother of two could possibly be attractive."
She added: "I can't get my head round that. It's not that I'm putting myself down and it's not a lack of confidence or a low self-esteem. It's just I don't know what that would look like."
Kelly went on: "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. 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."
