Sports presenter Kate Abdo gave her fellow broadcasters and viewers watching at home an absolute masterclass in comebacks on CBS Sports last night as she responded to Jamie Carragher’s recent on-air comments about her relationshipwith a wink and a nod.
No more, no less and absolutely perfect from start to finish.
For those unaware of the minor controversy, Carragher came under fire for making a jokey but undeniably awkward remark suggesting that the Manchester-born journalist and TV personality Abdo wasn’t “loyal” to her partner, Malik Scott.
Here’s how it went down during their Champions League coverage earlier this week.
Carragher’s just said Kate Abdo cheated on her fiancé I can't watch that joke went down so bad 😂 pic.twitter.com/Sl1NTXtC3j
The intensely cringeworthy moment Carragher suggests Abdo is cheating on her boyfriend on live television.
Not only did the joke go down like a lead balloon but as many online were saying at the time, as well simply going ‘too far’ — with many asking, “What was he thinking?” and some even going so far as to label him a “chauvinist tw*t” — it was also seen as private and therefore inappropriate to say publicly.
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However, although clearly uncomfortable for a brief moment following the controversial quip, rather than letting the small spit spiral out of control and even deeming Carra’s attempt to get a laugh worthy of calling her loyalty into question, she instead dished a calm, composed and comedic comeback.
We couldn’t have summed up her response any better than this comment did: “Kate Abdo is absolutely class man, she handled this whole thing so well. In today’s world, 99% of people would’ve played the ‘cancel’ card and gotten Carragher off the show. Others should aspire to act like her in such scenarios.”
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Here’s how chose to approach the whole thing — in style:
As you can see, there are still plenty of people unhappy with the former Liverpool and England defender turned pundit but it’s clear that ‘r Kate has already buried the hatchet, and has let him off the hook as the “annoying family member will still love and accept”.
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Moving swiftly on and getting back to what the quartet do best: Abdo being excellent at her job, flattering Thierry Henry, winding up Carragher and putting the mick in Micah Richards, as he still ended up being the final butt of the joke — but as she put it herself, he’s “impossible not to love”.
You can always trust us Mancs to be sarky but shrewd — well played, Kate.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
14th March 2024 
