Kate Scott, formerly known as Kate Abdo, has emerged as one of the most respected and adored sports presenters in the UK. The 43 year old Manchester-born presenter, who is set to host the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight, has been the face of CBS Sports' football coverage since 2020.
She hosts the UEFA Champions League Today show alongside Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Carragher. Her career in media has seen her work with some of the world's largest broadcasting companies.
But who exactly is this TV sensation and what does her life look like away from the cameras?
Here, we delve into all the details, including her rise to fame, her relationship with a former heavyweight boxer, and an awkward disagreement she had with one of her closest colleagues. Despite being born and raised in England, Scott moved to Spain at the age of 17 to perfect her Spanish and complete her high school diploma.
She later returned to the UK to earn a masters degree in European languages from the University of Salford, while also studying translation and interpreting at the University of Malaga. She then pursued journalism, but admits that she struggled to find work in her early days.
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Reflecting on her life before fame, Scott revealed to her CBS colleagues that she once worked at popular high street bakery chain Greggs.
During a live broadcast, the presenter reminisced about her early career with: "Do you know who else used to work for Greggs? One and only... yes I did," before playfully adding, "I wasn't dripping in Louis Vuitton quite so much back then, but yeah, that was my first job."
From humble beginnings to media stardom, Scott's rise through the ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. Starting with an internship at Deutsche Welle in 2005, she moved quickly to a role as a production assistant for Goal, the Bundesliga Magazine, in 2006.
Her progress didn't stop there; she became a presenter for Deutsche Welle till 2009, covering both English and German news and sports. A pivotal move to CNN ensued where she shone as the anchor of 'World Sports'.
A switch to Sky Sports News followed, where she became the face of its German coverage and later joined the UK team, presenting on Sky Sports News and various boxing PPVs, not to mention covering European football abroad. An international stint with Fox Sports saw her leading their Women's World Cup coverage in 2015, soon followed by her leap to the American broadcasting world, anchoring Champions League and Europa League segments.
Kate Abdo, the esteemed sports journalist, made a significant career move when she joined CBS in 2020 after Fox lost the broadcasting rights to the competition she covered. She quickly became the face of the popular UEFA Champions League Today show, working alongside football greats such as Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards.
Her successful career has amassed her an estimated net worth of around £2 million.
The rapport between Abdo and her colleagues is usually light-hearted, but it took an uncomfortable turn during a live broadcast earlier this year. In a playful exchange gone awry, Carragher suggested Abdo wear an Arsenal shirt, to which she staunchly replied, "No, I'm loyal. I'm loyal."
When Carragher quipped, "To who? " she firmly stated, "Manchester United, thank you very much."
The banter escalated into an awkward moment when Carragher made a cheeky remark about Abdo's then-fiancé Malik Scott, leaving everyone taken aback.
A surprised Abdo responded, "What? Why would you even say that," while Carragher could only muster a nervous chuckle.
The viral clip on social media led Malik, a former boxing pro, to issue a stern warning, stating he'd "show up in a physical manner" should Carragher overstep again. However, the atmosphere lightened considerably the following day, with Kate making a joke of it at the start of their live broadcast.
She said: "This group, we've been together now for three-and-a-half-years is it? And I grew up with a brother and doing this show I feel like I've gained three more here."
She affectionately referred to Henry as "the golden child who can do no wrong," labelled Richards "the little bro - loud but loveable," and then moved on to Carragher: "Then there is the middle child, Jamie Carragher. Chip on his shoulder, capable of saying anything for attention," she teased. "Does he go too far sometimes? Absolutely. Does he apologise? Yes, he does - but all of us have that one annoying family member that we still love and accept."
Malik later disclosed that Carragher had delivered a personal apology for the misstep, admitting: "It was not something I lost any sleep over because I noticed the way Kate handled it was very, very well, and Jamie was just being Jamie and I have no problem with him."
He added, "You chop it up and apologise like men, which he did, and life goes on. I respect anyone who has a mishap and is man enough to apologise to the person and the person's partner. I felt no ill feelings when we met."
"The thing that Jamie said, Kate was hurt, but they all made up and handled it collectively at the time. I said my piece on it, but the real thing is, we all got together and looked into each other's eyes and had great food and great conversations."
"I never had a strong opinion about Jamie Carragher, only about the things that he said, but meeting him, I really enjoyed the man's company. I have the utmost respect for him, as well as the rest of the panel."
Abdo recently married boxer Malik Scott in a lavish ceremony in Malibu Hills, California. The wedding featured a unique cake that paid tribute to Scott's boxing background, which he credits with 'saving his life'.
Scott was touched by the thoughtful gesture, saying: "Kate did something incredibly creative, caring and compassionate, reflecting the walk of life I come from. She took an old picture of my first ABC Gym in North Philadelphia, where I was raised, the gym that essentially saved my life."
"She copied the ring from that gym and turned it into a cake, with me in the ring wearing the boxing trunks I had on when I fought Tony Thompson. Those trunks had a design I borrowed from Sugar Ray Leonard when he fought Tommy Hearns the second time, but I added my own colours - pink and black with stripes. She even put herself next to me in a wedding dress."
"The thoughtfulness and creativity moved me to tears because it took me back to my childhood in that ring, where I faced many challenges, learned hard lessons, and grew. That ring always meant the world to me. She made sure to incorporate that into our wedding day, placing us both in the ring on the cake her in a wedding dress, me in my boxing outfit. The contrast was beautiful, thoughtful and loving."
Scott began his boxing career at the tender age of 11 and by 17, he had already claimed the Junior Olympic Champion title. His professional stint from 2000 to 2016 saw him accumulate an impressive record of 38-3-1, sharing the ring with heavyweight names like Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder.
Although he never clinched a title, Scott earned the respect of his peers, opponents and boxing fans worldwide for his powerful punches and indomitable spirit. He later transitioned into coaching, joining forces with former rival Wilder in 2021.
Since then, he has cornered matches against Tyson Fury, Robert Helenius, Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
