Who is Kelly Cates’ ex-husband Tom and when he and the ‘new Match of the Day host’ divorce?

KELLY Cates is riding high in her career after it was revealed that she is set to be ‘signed as the new host of Match of the Day’.

The football pundit has long been known for her work on Sky Sports. 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.

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.

She is reportedly set to join the Match of the Day team following the departure of longtime host Gary Lineker, who started presenting the show in 1999.

It is understood that the move would see Kelly leave her position at Sky Sports to team up with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman on Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2.

Reports claimed the three presenters would share hosting responsibilities on a rotating basis.