Alex Scott is set to take centre stage this evening as she co-hosts the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year ceremony alongside Clare Balding and Gabby Logan.
The women’s football icon has had quite the busy schedule lately, having just emerged from her adventure in the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
It’s a fitting role for Scott, whose remarkable career in the sport has made her one of the most recognisable faces in British football broadcasting.
Tonight’s ceremony marks another high-profile moment for the former Arsenal star, who continues to cement her status as a leading figure in sports television.
Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Clare Balding will form the three-woman team to present the BBC’s SPOTY awards
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But behind the scenes, Scott’s personal life has included a deeply private love story that she kept hidden for years.
The broadcaster was romantically involved with her Arsenal teammate Kelly Smith for eight years, a relationship the pair chose to keep completely secret.
Their romance blossomed after Scott returned to the north London club in 2005, having previously left for a stint at Birmingham City.
Scott had first joined Arsenal as a youngster, signing with the club when she was just eight years old.
The couple’s relationship eventually came to a painful end in 2013, with Scott later describing it as a heartbreaking split.
Alex Scott fell ‘deeply in love’ with Arsenal teammate Kelly Smith
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Scott chose to share the details of her romance with Smith in her 2022 autobiography, How (Not) To Be Strong.
She admitted she wrestled with whether to include that chapter of her life, but ultimately felt leaving it out would be dishonest to her readers.
Speaking to the Mirror, she explained: “I thought I’d be cheating you all if I didn’t put that in there. And for me, it’s like that first love story, I fell madly and deeply in love.
“And yes, there’s that heartbreak and those things, but it’s a huge part of my life and I wouldn’t go back and change that. Because that feeling of love and that excitement and what it gives you, it needed to be in there.”
Scott has been open about her struggles when it comes to matters of the heart.
Alex Scott and Kelly Smith were often teammates, for Arsenal as well as Great Britain
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She told The Times: “I’ve always had this voice in my head insisting that I can do it alone. I’ve been single for a while now, and I think that’s because I needed to be. There were patterns in my relationships that I knew were not healthy.”
While her personal life has had its challenges, her professional journey has been nothing short of brilliant.
The former defender earned an impressive 140 caps for England during her playing days.
Since hanging up her boots, she’s become the first permanent female presenter of Football Focus, taking on the role in 2021.