Chapman's feud with BBC sport chief casts shadow over Match of the Day presenting role

Mark Chapman’s noticeably flat demeanour while presenting Match of the Day on Saturday has been linked to a deep-seated rift with BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, according to a source cited by the Daily Mail.

Chapman, 53, who took over as a permanent co-host of the flagship BBC One highlights show following Gary Lineker’s departure at the end of the 2024/25 season, is said to “can’t stand” Kay-Jelski and his approach to running the corporation’s sports division. The tension has been sharpened by a round of redundancies in Kay-Jelski’s department last month, which reportedly left production teams demoralised.

“Mark cannot stand Alex,” a source said. “He doesn’t like what he is doing with the whole sports set-up. The cuts Alex has made have left a horrible atmosphere in the department, the production teams have been left devastated and Mark is fond of many of them. The behind the scenes misery has now spilled over to what happens in front of the camera.”

Viewers were quick to notice the change in Chapman’s usually warm on-screen manner during Saturday’s broadcast, in which he welcomed studio guests Martin Keown and Steph Houghton. Social media reaction was pointed, with one post describing his delivery as “flat, lifeless, almost uninterested” and comparing the show to “a post-mortem conducted by a forensic pathologist who regretted his career choice years ago”. Others were more blunt, calling his performance “absolute zero charisma”.

The irony is that Chapman’s presenting role — shared with Kelly Cates, his partner, and Gabby Logan — was itself a decision made by Kay-Jelski. Despite landing one of British television’s most prominent sports presenting jobs, Chapman’s reported animosity towards the man who appointed him appears undiminished.

The BBC has not publicly commented on the reported tensions within its sports department.