Kelly Cates appeared focused on her hosting duties at Liverpool's Premier League match on Sunday, days after reports surfaced about a conflict involving her boyfriend, Mark Chapman, and his "Match of the Day" boss. Chapman is reportedly in a dramatic backstage dispute with Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC's director of sport.
Cates was at Anfield to cover Liverpool's game against Arsenal, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for the home team. This appearance comes after Cates and Chapman, who host "Match of the Day" with Gabby Logan, were revealed to be dating earlier this month. Their shifts presenting the football program do not overlap.
Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Chapman "can't stand" Kay-Jelski. Viewers had previously noted Chapman appeared subdued while hosting "Match of the Day" last Saturday.
Cates, daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, was previously married to TV producer Tom Cates, with whom she has two children. They separated in 2021. Chapman was married to his late wife, Sara, for 19 years until her death in 2020; they had three children.
Chapman reportedly began dating Cates after splitting from his girlfriend of three years, Clere Collier, an estate agent. Collier had accused Chapman of becoming close with Cates, but Chapman has maintained there was no overlap between the relationships and that he remained faithful. A source told The Sun that Chapman ended his relationship with Collier "out of the blue" and later admitted his relationship with Cates, while insisting he had not cheated.