Mark Chapman has been making headlines this week after The Sun reported that the Match of the Day presenter is dating his co-host Kelly Cates, following his split from ex-girlfriend Clere Collier. The 52-year-old broadcaster, known affectionately as 'Chappers', has long been a comforting, authoritative staple on British TV and radio, cementing his status as one of the country's best-loved sports broadcasters.
Broadcasting career
Chapman's illustrious career began in 1996 when he joined the BBC as a television continuity announcer working primarily across BBC One and BBC Two. He quickly moved into sports journalism, honing his craft as a local cricket correspondent for BBC North East radio. His breakthrough onto national airwaves arrived when he joined BBC Radio 1 as a Newsbeat sports reader, appearing on high-profile shows alongside Sara Cox and Scott Mills, where he earned the enduring nickname 'Chappers'.
Over the following decade, Chapman built a formidable multi-sport portfolio, transitioning into major anchor roles across BBC Radio 5 Live - fronting 5 Live Sport and The Monday Night Club - while expanding his TV repertoire with hosting duties on The NFL Show, major Olympic Games coverage, and Sky Sports' Carabao Cup action. In August 2013, he succeeded Colin Murray as the main presenter of Match of the Day 2.
Wife's passing and dating history
Behind his screen success, Chapman's life was rocked by unimaginable personal grief. He was married to his wife, Sara, for nearly two decades, with whom he had three children. Tragic heartbreak struck in June 2020, when Sara passed away following a battle with cancer. Three years after being widowed, Chapman began dating Dubai-based property agent Clere Collier. Their relationship appeared to be going from strength to strength, with the pair even spotted house-hunting together in Altrincham.
However, the romance came to an unexpected end when the couple called time on their relationship in April 2026. Friends revealed that Clere confronted Chapman over suspicions regarding his closeness to fellow broadcaster Cates.
Kelly Cates romance
Chapman and Cates reportedly began dating earlier this year. Sources claim that Chapman has firmly insisted to Clere that there was no overlap between her and Kelly and that he had been single when he began spending time with the latter. Cates, 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.
Cates 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.'"
Charitable work and stunts
Beyond his broadcasting career and private life, Chapman has consistently pushed his limits to raise funds for good causes through a series of demanding physical challenges. In March 2008, he teamed up with Radio 1 co-star David 'Comedy Dave' Vitty for an ambitious endurance stunt, running a mile at every single one of the 20 English Premier League and 12 Scottish Premier League grounds. That same year, he tackled the London Marathon to support children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent, a feat he successfully repeated in 2010.
Pushing his endurance even further in 2012, Chapman joined a cycling squad to complete the iconic 874-mile journey from Land's End to John o' Groats, raising vital funds for the Donna Louise Children's Hospice Trust in Stoke-on-Trent.
