High-profile AFL journalist Mitch Cleary has publicly apologized for cheating on his pregnant fiancée, Kate Watts, during the off-season. The admission came on his AFL podcast, 'The Tradies,' where Cleary addressed the scandal after Watts had publicly accused a Collingwood employee of having a romantic involvement with him.
Cleary described his actions as a "terrible error in judgement" that occurred during a night out last year. He stated that the incident has caused significant hurt and embarrassment to those closest to him, particularly Watts and their daughter. He acknowledged that he is dealing with the consequences privately with his family and those around him.
The incident reportedly involved a consensual kiss with a Collingwood staff member, who is not part of the club's media department. A spokesperson for the Collingwood insider stated that the staff member regrets the incident and apologizes for the impact of their actions. Rumors circulating online suggesting the staff member is from the media department have been refuted.
Cleary's personal admission has also drawn attention to his work, with critics pointing to his podcast's tendency to delve into the personal lives of sports stars. Cleary himself acknowledged this overlap on the podcast, stating, "We cross over on trades and that sort of thing in terms of the personal lives of people, so it wouldn't be fair if I didn't come on here and address that I made a major error." He quickly pivoted back to the show's primary focus on AFL trades.
Cleary and Watts, who welcomed their first child in February, have been together for five years and engaged for two. Despite the scandal, Channel Seven sources have indicated that no further action will be taken against Cleary, and he is expected to remain a prominent figure in the network's AFL coverage. The controversy emerged as the AFL finals series was set to begin.