Kelly Cates is no stranger to football fans and TV viewers alike. The 49-year-old broadcaster has enjoyed an impressive rise to famewith Sky Sports and BBC Radio 5 Live making her a household name in football media.
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With Gary Lineker stepping down as the host of Match of the Day (MOTD), many names were suggested to be contenders for replacing him from the show and Kelly was one of them.
Why is Gary Lineker leaving BBC’s MOTD?
Gary Lineker’s exit from MOTD marks the end of an era. Having hosted the iconic football show for 25 years, Lineker became synonymous with the show. However, he announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season earlier this year in November.
According to BBC, the reason for his departure isn’t controversy or pressure but because he feels it’s time to step aside and allow someone else to bring fresh energy to the show. He shared:
I feel this is now the right time. I think [with] the next [highlights] contract, they're looking to do Match of the Day slightly differently, so I think it makes sense for someone else to take the helm.
While Lineker is stepping down from MOTD, he will remain with the BBC to host FA Cup coverage and lead their team for the 2026 World Cup.
Kelly Cates as a replacement for Gary Lineker on BBC’s MOTD
Following his departure, reports have suggested that Kelly Cates is going to replace the BBC icon on the show. She is understood to be leaving her established career with Sky Sports and be at the helm of BBC’s fan-favourite show next year.
Kelly is no stranger to BBC as she has worked for the network on and off since 2013. She worked with Radio 5 Live and presented the iconic fan phone-in show 606 alongside Ian Wright on Sundays between 2013 and 2018, reports The Sun. As she joined Sky Sports, her role at BBC was reduced but she still returned to host 5 Live Sport, mostly on Tuesdays and provided coverage for the 2022 World Cup.
Kelly Cates’ career with Sky Sports
Sky Sports bosses are reportedly upset to see Kelly leave and rightfully so. The 49-year-old has been associated with the channel since its inception. After earning a maths degree at university, she joined Sky Sports News in the late 1990s when the channel was just starting and looking for young people. She explained:
It was new and no one was watching so they pretty much said to us: 'Go and play at being on the telly!’
Over the years, she became a familiar face on Sky Sports, anchoring their EFL coverage, Friday Night Football, and Premier Leagueshows. Working alongside pundits like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, she has skillfully handled fiery debates and live-match coverage.
In 2006, Kelly took a break from Sky Sportsas she gave more importance to starting a family. She was 30 or 31 at that time and engaged to then-fiancé Tom Cates. Confident that she wanted to have children, she quit Sky Sports as unexpectedly as she began working there and focused on her family life.
In 2016, Kelly returned to Sky Sports after a brief break, feeling she had unfinished business. Initially, she fronted Sky Sports’ EFL coverage and eventually became the main anchor for the Premier League.
Kelly Cates’ net worth
Kelly’s success in football broadcasting has also translated into impressive financial rewards. While exact figures remain unknown, some reports estimate her net worth to be around £7.9 million ($10 million). Her long-standing roles with Sky Sports, BBC, and other broadcasters have made her one of the most prominent faces in sports media. In addition to her broadcasting income, Kelly is believed to have boosted her earnings through brand endorsements and strategic investments.
But Kelly is not just known for her impressive career.
Kelly Cates’ iconic Liverpool legend father
Kelly is no stranger to football as she comes from football loyalty. She is the daughter of Liverpool icon Kenny Dalglish. Popularly known as ‘King Kenny’ by many of his fans, Dalglish is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.
He has enjoyed a glittering career at Liverpool, where he scored 170 goals and won multiple First Division titles, European Cups, and domestic trophies. He later transitioned to management, famously leading Blackburn Rovers to their Premier League title in 1995.
Growing up as the daughter of a football legend was both unique and humbling for Kelly. She once revealed that her mother would often take her to matches to watch her father play.
Despite her father’s legacy, Kelly didn’t initially plan on following in his footsteps by working in football. She shared:
My first experience of footballers were my mum and dad's friends. I would see the wives and kids as much as I would see the footballers. When it's your dad's workmates they're not really that interesting. That's kind of how I first saw footballers.
Adding:
When I was the manager's daughter I was not encouraged to hang around footballers, quite the opposite. I was like 13 or 14 and then a bit older. It was, 'You come into the office, you stand with us and stay clear of everybody’. It wasn't really a mingling opportunity.
Kelly Cates’ family life and dating
While Kelly’s professional life has been an incredible success story, her personal life has had its challenges. She married TV producer Tom Cates in 2007 and the couple share two daughters. However, after nearly 14 years together, Kelly and Tom separated in 2021, reports Irish Mirror.
Following her divorce, Kelly spoke candidly about reluctantly reentering the dating scene. Appearing on Gabby Logan’s Mid Point podcast, she admitted to feeling nervous and unsure about the experience. She said:
I don’t have a picture in my head of why a middle-aged, slightly overweight mother of two could possibly be attractive. I can't get my head around 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.
She also admitted that going on dates only to find out that she doesn’t like the other person or vice-versa would be a waste of time and she would be ‘resentful’ of them for taking up her time.
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Sources used:
BBC: Lineker: It is 'right time' to leave Match of the Day
The Sun: Meet ‘new Match of the Day host’ Kelly Cates, who is the daughter of a Liverpool icon and studied maths at university
The Express: Inside life of Kelly Cates with Liverpool icon dad, Neville roasts and dating 'nerves'
Irish Mirror: Kelly Cates' net worth, dating life, former husband and new job she's quitting Sky Sports for