But unfortunately for the new presenter, she was ordered by BBC bosses to keep quiet about her new role — a scenario which felt familiar to the mum of two.
Kelly Cates wanted to shout with joy after making history as one of Match Of The Day's first female hosts - but the BBC told her she'd need to keep it quiet
The appointment of Kelly, who is the daughter of Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish, above, was widely welcomed by the football world
Because, for Kelly, sitting on the enormous secret felt just like hiding a pregnancy.
Speaking in depth for the first time about taking over from Gary Lineker next season, Kelly, 49, said: "I'm not good at secrets — it killed me! Genuinely, once the news was announced I could have slept for two days.
"I found the stress of keeping it a secret so hard and even though it is a nice secret, it was a little bit like the early stages of pregnancy where you feel terrible that you can't tell anybody.
"It was awful lying to genuinely good friends. I hated it."
Kelly will be part of a new three-strong presenting team, alongside Gabby and Mark Chapman, both 51.
And she is thrilled she can now share how she managed to land the biggest job in British sports broadcasting.
An industry veteran of nearly 30 years, Kelly had been working for the BBC as part of 5 Live's football coverage, as well as anchoring live games for Sky Sports, when she was called into a meeting by Beeb executives.
'Ego-filled world'
It had been rumoured for some time that new BBC Director of Sport boss Alex Kay-Jelski wanted to shake up Match Of The Day, the world's longest-running football highlights show.
But Kelly had not bargained for being a part of his plans.
Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, she explains: "I had the conversation early on but in very vague terms.
"I was already doing radio for the BBC, already working on 5 Live so it was natural for me to have meetings when a new boss came in, and everything was being changed so that was quite natural.
"But in the course of one of those meetings it was, 'Well, we're rethinking how we're going to do Match Of The Day and would you be interested to be in the mix?'
"Inside I couldn't wait for the meeting to end so I could shout 'Oh my God! This is incredible'"
"And I was trying really hard to keep a 'not bothered' face, saying, 'Yeah, that would be great'.
"But inside I couldn't wait for the meeting to end so I could shout 'Oh my God! This is incredible'."
Kelly added: "And they were brilliant around the whole thing — trying to balance the two and the fact I can keep doing live football, which I think is really important because if you don't do that you forget why you're covering it, you forget about those big moments and what it is like."
It was only when Kelly's new gig was officially unveiled in January that the enormity began to sink in.
She added: "Suddenly friends of mine who don't even like football were phoning me saying, 'Oh my God, this is so exciting — congratulations'. I didn't even think it would be on their radar.
"They're not in that sports world and then you realise something like Match Of The Day goes past all of that. It's in people's lives — it's in the background."
The appointment of Kelly, who is the daughter of Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland great Kenny Dalglish, along with Gabby and Mark — aka Chappers — was widely welcomed by the football world.
All three are hugely respected figures within the industry and there was a general consensus they had done their time, working up the ranks and honing their craft over several decades.
Kelly believes landing the gig came at the perfect time for all of the new line-up.
She explains: "That was the big draw for the three of us.
Renowned Formula One figure Flavio Briatore has been seen with two women several years his junior having split from his former partner 45 years younger than him. Briatore, 75, was spotted aboard a yacht in the south of France last week with his 15-year-old son also in tow as they soaked up the summer sun. The Italian, who has recently made a return to F1, was seen conversing in a pair of red swimm...
The world's sexiest volleyball star has amassed an enormous following on social media with her glamorous photos.Kayla Simmons has shown off her sideboob in a new Instagram postShe posed for a series of snaps while enjoying the sunShe was zoned out with her Beats headphonesShe also read a historical fiction bookKayla, 29, often wows her fans with raunchy pictures on Instagram as she travels the wor...
No doubt Spurs fans will be thinking that if their new playmaker, arriving from RB Leipzig for £52million, can have half as good an impact as Modric, who sparkled for four years before leaving for Real Madrid in 2012, then they will have landed a diamond.Tottenham landed Xavi Simons in a £52m transferSimons is good pals with NeymarSimons came through the famous La Masia Barcelona academy...
GRIMSBY TOWN shocked the world on the pitch against Manchester United but their players have been scoring off it too.The League Two side knocked the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup on penalties on Wednesday evening.Charliese Leone is dating Grimsby captain Evan KhouriThey recently celebrated their two-year anniversaryThey first spoke to each other via DMsCharliese is a graphic designer and a cre...
Stunning TV presenter Diletta Leotta has landed a new role and has promised to be ‘pleasant to look at’ after defending her daring choice of outfit at her daughter’s birthday partyDiletta Leotta has landed a new jobStunning TV presenter Diletta Leotta has landed a new role on the Italian version of Match of the Day.Diletta has become a fan favourite on the screen having worked fo...
The current Inter Miami player was blunt with his words: "It's going to be special," he saidLionel Messi in a match with Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.Lionel Messi's performance with Inter Miami in the most recent Leagues Cup match (two goals to come from behind) was overshadowed by news unrelated to MLS. The Argentine talisman announced at the end of the match that the game with his national te...
The Canadian golfer is a former beauty pageant queen before she switched careers.Sara Michelle Winter turned heads at a golf tournament recentlyShe left fans amazed with her choice of outfitAnd Winter, 28, is still turning heads on golf courses, even when she's not playing.The social media star is fast emerging as a rival for Instagram golf queen Paige Spiranac.Winter has more than 500,000 followe...
Imagine soaking up the Mediterranean sunshine next to your very own infinity pool and relaxing in the onboard 'beach club' before being treated to a feast prepared by your private chef.Tottenham owner Joe Lewis owns a giant yacht that operates as his "mobile office"Zlatan Ibrahimovic knows how to show off his 34-metre superyachtRonaldo's yacht boasts five bedroomsOr picture yourself trying to work...
Injured Carroll is in Ibiza with girlfriend Lou Teasdale trying to repair their troubled relationship.Footballer Andy Carroll has defied his manager's warnings over his recent romance drama with Lou TeasdaleInjured Carroll is in Ibiza with girlfriend Lou Teasdale trying to repair their troubled relationshipBut it comes just weeks after Carroll, 36, was hauled in for a dressing-down by Dagenham &am...
Pep Guardiola's stunning daughter, Maria, asked the Manchester City boss to make a change over the summer she deemed as "awful"Maria Guardiola asked her dad to change one thingPep Guardiola admitted he had to make a change over the summer after his daughter branded it "awful".Guardiola is looking to turn around the fortunes of Manchester City after a below par season from him and his lofty standar...
