“You can’t do this job without being obsessed with football”
Sports broadcaster Kelly Somers on be judged as a working mum and the role models who inspire her…
As a sports presenter and reporter, Kelly Somers is used to working in a male dominated environment. She regularly contributes to football coverage on radio and television in the UK, including Match of the Day and BBC 5Live, and has her own interview show The Football Interview which will soon start on Saturday afternoons on BBC One. Most recently, she’s just returned from a summer covering the men’s FIFA World Cup with her two-year-old daughter in tow.
Here she tells The Female Lead about dealing with sexist comments, why male allyship is so important and the female role models she is in awe of…
What inspired you to pursue a career in football and sports broadcasting?
I grew up with football around me - and female football fans - too. My mum always went to football and prior to that my grandparents went, so it’s never not been a thing the women did in my family and to be honest, I feel so fortunate to have been brought up with it being the norm. I won a competition at primary school by writing a match report on a Watford match and won a day in the press box. From then on I was hooked and knew I wanted to pursue a career in it.
Have you had to deal with sexism or stereotypes over the years?
“So, do you like football?” is the common question that grates on me - and sadly I’ve heard many other females say they’ve been asked the same. As if girls can’t like football, or as if I surely couldn’t have chosen this career, someone must have chosen it for me! You can’t do this job without liking football, without being obsessed with football. You get found out very quickly if you don’t. I’ve never heard a male colleague be asked this and I’d love to see their response if they were!
“So where’s the baby?” is another common one - and again I’m pretty sure my partner doesn’t get asked it. I’m fortunate that although my job can be intense, it does also allow flexibility at times so I have been able to be a very present mum. My daughter only recently started going to pre-school, shes always been with my mum when I’ve worked and has often travelled with me. My daughter - and family - came to Euro 2024 and this summer’s FIFA World Cup because I want her to know, like I always have, that sport is for girls. Last summer she came to New York with me for 10 days for the FIFA Club World Cup and also to Switzerland for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 final. It’s not always easy, but sorting out childcare at home when I’m away isn’t either!
The most important thing I’ve learned is that it works for us. I’ve been judged for not sending my daughter to nursery until she was two and a half, yet other mums are judged for sending their children when they’re months old! But we all have different jobs, different financial situations and also different lifestyles and support systems. Every family is different but we are all just doing our best to make it work for everyone - parents and children! I have found that for some reason parenting is an aspect of life people weirdly love to have an opinion on, but it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, as long as it works for you.
Do you think it’s important for women to be open at work about their family life?
I am very fortunate to have worked with really supportive colleagues and had a positive experience, though sadly I know this isn’t the case for lots of women. I try not to shy away from letting them know why perhaps I can’t do a particular job, as I think it’s important they understand.
A lot of the men I work with are parents too, and I try to remember to ask about their family situations. The dilemmas that I am having, I’m sure their wives or partners will have had similar ones too. And the men subsequently have been a part of the decision making process too. I’m very conscious of discussing all the decisions I make regarding work and childcare with my partner - I’m incredibly lucky that he’s very supportive. I hope that also makes him a supportive male ally and colleague for women at his work too. Even the smallest acts of flexibility and help you can give parents honestly goes a long way. I’ll never forget the people that have helped me.
What changes have you seen in sport in the past five years?
In terms of women’s sport, the impact of the Lionesses can’t be underestimated. They showed young girls, and even older women, that women can do anything they put their mind to. And that if they lead, others will follow. It isn’t just their performances on the pitch either - it’s the impact they had on grassroots football, writing to the Prime Minister about getting girls playing football in schools, and then brands and sponsors using the players to spearhead their campaigns. The latter is so important as it puts money back into the sport for it to grow and ensures we continually see them in different spaces.
I recently interviewed Venus Williams at the men’s World Cup, and as we stood chatting pre-interview, I did something especially out of character for me - I thanked her for being such a role model, particularly for my generation. She was one of very few sports women, I feel, given the respect they deserved at the top level at the time I was growing up. She was and is a powerhouse, and it’s important we celebrate women like her as they’ve done so much for young girls and women everywhere.
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Who are your female role models?
Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates are two presenters I’m so fortunate to see at close quarters now at the BBC. They are two women at their peak of their powers who have incredible longevity in the industry and still, in my opinion, keep getting better. They’ve also had children and shown how it is possible to do both and not compromise either. I will never forget Gabby sending me a message with advice when I was pregnant - both are incredibly professional but personable, too, which i also think is so important as we consume football in a more casual way now, i think.
What advice do you have for young girls who want to get into sports broadcasting?
If you want to be a broadcaster you totally can. Don’t think of yourself as a ‘young girl’ - think of yourself as a broadcaster. I’m sure men don’t think of themselves as male broadcasters, they’re just broadcasters! In this day and age there are so many avenues to get into the industry. Social media can - at times justifiably - get a bad reputation but it enables you to create content and showcase your talent. Tell stories, give your opinions and show why you are unique because sport for me is all about celebrating the different characters within it.
