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A popular WWE star is set to make a surprise return to SmackDown this week. Friday's edition of the blue brand will air live from the Vystar Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Cathy Kelley is a popular backstage interviewer who claimed she was returning to WWE RAW earlier this year to be with former Women's World Champion Rhea Ripely. Rhea Ripley has had a humorous romance with ring announcer Samantha Irvin and Cathy Kelley in the past.
Kelley took to her official X account today to announce that she will be returning to SmackDown this Friday night for only one night:
"I’ll be back on blue for one night only," she wrote.
Jackie Redmond joined the company last year and also works as a backstage interviewer on RAW. The promotion has also made changes to it's ring announcer team, as Mike Rome has returned to NXT, and Alicia Taylor now performs on SmackDown.
Cathy Kelley speaks on her decision to leave WWE in 2020
WWE star Cathy Kelley joined the company in 2016 after working at AfterBuzz TV. She debuted on NXT TV in 2019 but exited the promotion less than a year later before making her return to the promotion in 2022.
Speaking to Ryan Satin on the Out of Character podcast, Kelley got candid about her decision to leave the company. She revealed that she was dealing with mental health issues and really needed to step away. The 35-year-old noted she had struggled with anxiety since high school and it was difficult to deal with at the time:
"It was really challenging. I think at the time, I said it was for reasons to pursue other things and I still believe I could have pursued all of those things within WWE. But, I felt at the time, I really needed to step away. My mental health had really declined. I've struggled with depression and panic attacks, anxiety, basically from high school-on, on and off, and it was really tough," she said. [H/T: Post Wrestling]
Cathy Kelley's "ex" Rhea Ripley has not appeared on RAW since relinquishing the title last month. It will be interesting to see which superstar is Women's World Champion when The Eradicator is cleared to return.
