The BBC’s flagship football show, Match of the Day, will be presented by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan from next season, it has been announced.
For the first time in the show’s history, the role of lead presenter will be shared by three presenters.
Cates, Chapman and Logan will be ‘at the heart of BBC Sport’s football team’ that also includes Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and Alex Scott.
Current presenter Gary Lineker is stepping down this summer after 26 years in the role, but will continue to present FA Cup games and be involved in coverage for the 2026 World Cup.
The BBC said: ‘Match of the Day first aired in 1964 and the trio are the sixth set of main presenters for the weekly football highlights programme.
‘It is just as treasured by audiences now as it was back then, bringing people together week in, week out.
‘Last season 33 million viewers tuned in across all Match of the Day Premier League and FA Cup programmes on BBC TV and iPlayer, while millions more enjoy the opinion and analysis on the BBC Sport website, app and social channels.’
Cates, 49, has been a key figure in Sky Sports’ coverage of the Premier League in recent years while also working for BBC Radio 5 Live.
The daughter of Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish said: ‘Once I sit in that chair and the theme music starts, I just know that’s going to be a really incredible moment.
‘I’ve worked with a lot of the pundits before and they’re all fantastic, so I’m just looking forward to getting started.
‘I’ve known Gabby and Mark really well for years so to bring it all together, embracing the digital side of things, it feels like a really comprehensive football package for fans and that’s what makes it so exciting too.’
Logan hosted BBC’s Final Score programme from 2009 to 2013 and has covered some of the most high-profile events of the sporting calendar, including the London Marathon and BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
A former gymnast who represented Wales and Great Britain, Logan said: ‘It’s always a real moment [sitting in the chair] because it has such history.
‘It’s still so relevant to so many people now and talked about in a landscape where TVs changed so much.
‘There’s an enormous responsibility to make sure we continue to evolve while at the same time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day.
‘People want to see the goals, they want to see the incidents, they want to see the moments everyone’s talking about, so while we can tinker at the edges, the core is the football.’
More to follow…
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