Kelly Cates was born 28 September 1975 in Glasgow, Scotland. She is the eldest daughter of football legend Kenny Dalglish and Marina Dalglish. She grew up in Southport, England, surrounded by football culture due to her father’s career with Liverpool FC.

She studied mathematics at the University of Glasgow but left her degree early after being offered a job at Sky Sports News when the channel launched in 1998. Cates became one of the first presenters on the channel and quickly established herself in sports broadcasting.

During her career she has worked for several broadcasters, including Setanta Sports, ESPN, Channel 5, ITV, and Sky Sports, hosting Premier League coverage and football analysis programmes. She also became a regular presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live, hosting shows such as 606 and 5 Live Sport.

In 2025 she joined BBC Sport as one of the main presenters of Match of the Day on BBC One, sharing hosting duties with Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman following the departure of Gary Lineker.

Cates lives in London and balances her broadcasting career with raising her two daughters, maintaining a relatively private personal life.