Who is Kelly Cates’ ex-husband Tom and when did he and the new Match of the Day host divorce?
KELLY Cates is riding high in her career after it was revealed that she will be one of the new hosts of Match of the Day following Gary Lineker’s departure.
She’s part of a three-person line-up alongside Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman. Here we take a look at her former married life and who her ex-husband Tom is.
Who is Kelly Cates?
Kelly Cates is a much-loved football presenter, best known for her work on Sky Sports.
She grew up in the world of footy, as she is the daughter of football legend Kenny Dalglish .
Since then Kelly has become one of the UK’s leading pundits.
Married life
Away from the pitch, and the sports host wed Tom Cates in 2007.
During their marriage, they welcomed two daughters together.
Unlike Kelly, Tom has stayed away from the spotlight, although he is known for being a TV producer.
The pair were married for 14 years before announcing their divorce in 2021.
Life after marriage
Speaking shortly after she announced her split from Tom, Kelly talked about stepping into the dating world again.
In an exclusive chat with The Sun she said she was “up for using dating apps” despite being self-conscious.
Kelly told us: “I don’t want to spend my precious free time with a random.
“But this is the thing, the thought of going on a date and spending an evening with someone and the end of it thinking, ‘Well I don’t really like you,’ I would be so resentful of them taking up my time.
“Obviously vice versa, but I’m not bothered about it from their perspective.”
Going on she said: “Bearing in mind I don’t get to see the people I do like quite often, but I do know unless I want to spend the rest of my life alone… and I’ve got no real thoughts about long term relationships or anything like that.
“Imagine sitting there and halfway through you think, ‘God this guy’s an idiot’. You’ve just wasted a babysitter.”
‘MOTD signing’
In December 2024, reports started to emerge claiming Kelly was set to move to the BBC.
The news about her joining the Match of the Day team broke following the departure of longtime host Gary Lineker.
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will share presenting duties for the BBC’s flagship footie highlights show on a Saturday night, as well as Sunday’s Match of the Day 2.
A statement posted on X reads: “New squad for next season!
“We’re delighted to announce that Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will share Match of the Day presenting duties from 2025-26.”
Former England striker Lineker began hosting the show in 1999 and is due to step down at the end of the season in May 2025.