'A little child' - Jamie Carragher reveals Kate Abdo 'put him back in his place' after controversial 'loyalty' joke on air

The incident occurred in March, during CBS’s broadcast of Arsenal's Champions League clash against Porto at the Emirates Stadium, and it left viewers in shock as Carragher's attempt at humour fell flat. During the post-match segment, Carragher made a lighthearted attempt to get fellow pundit Micah Richards to wear an Arsenal shirt on air. Richards, who had revealed his childhood admiration for Arsenal, complied. Afterwards, Arsenal star Bukayo Saka requested Carragher to also don the shirt, and the former Liverpool defender obliged.

It was then that Carragher extended the banter, suggesting that Thierry Henry and host Kate Abdo should wear the Arsenal shirt next. Abdo quickly deflected the idea, saying, “No, I’m loyal.” When Carragher inquired who she was loyal to, she promptly responded, “To Manchester United, thank you very much,” referencing her favourite team.

The light banter took an uncomfortable turn when Carragher shot back, “You’re not loyal to Malik,” referencing Abdo’s then-boyfriend and now-husband, Malik Scott. The comment, made on live television, seemed to catch everyone off guard, and it quickly became clear that Carragher’s joke had missed the mark. The next day, Abdo delivered a sharp, witty comeback to bury the hatchet and said during her introduction: "Does [Carragher] go too far sometimes? Absolutely. Does he apologize? Yes, he does. But all of us have that one annoying family member that we still love.”

Speaking to The Ringer, Carragher explained his feelings about the situation, stating, “We never ignore the elephants in the room. I was a little child. I was just getting a little smack and getting put back in place, and rightly so.”

Whereas, Abdo explained that the dynamic between her and her co-hosts is akin to a sports team where everyone occasionally pokes fun at each other. “I think the reason that we function well is because we needle each other. That’s like a sports team, right? I feel like those inappropriate conversations should be had in the locker room and kept in the locker room. You deal with them internally, and then you move on,” she said.

Abdo is now married to her long-time partner Malik Scott after tying the knot in a small and intimate wedding. The pair took to their social media accounts to celebrate the “gift of marriage,” by uploading a few pictures of the special moment.

The 2024-25 Champions League season has kicked off with a revamped group stage format and CBS Sports continues to be the official broadcaster of the competition in the United States with Abdo, Carragher, Henry and Richards the central figures of the coverage. They will be back in the studios on October 22 with live action from matchday three.