Cates finished her question and just as Nevill started to answer, he turned to Carragher, began talking and the pair walked off, leaving Cates to do her best impression of that random ring-in at a party who tries not to look awkward with a drink in one hand and no mates in the other.
"After three wins in four, particularly after the win against Brighton, we're expecting he (Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhuttl) is going to be in a good mood. How significant was that last win?" Cates said.
Good question, Kelly. Discuss please, Gary and Jamie.
"It was a huge win, do you think they're now safe? Five points clear of relegation, game in hand and obviously in good form as well," Neville said.
But Cates wouldn't know that's what he said. She couldn't hear him. How could she? She wasn't even invited to the conversation she started!
A clip showing the truly bizarre piece of TV was posted on Twitter and has now been viewed nearly 7.5 million times. Adding to the hilarity, once Cates' speaking role in the affair was over, the camera still kept her in shot as Neville and Carragher strolled away.
You expected to see tears well up in her eyes while "hello darkness my old friend …" started playing.
Some thought the odd move was disrespectful to Cates, while others were just downright baffled.
Cates suggested the whole thing was planned but while it seemed like a good idea at the time, hindsight, as it usually does, had a different opinion. She explained Neville and Carragher were going to interview Southampton mentor Hasenhuttl in the tunnel and apparently needed some small talk to pass the time.
"They were going to interview Hasenhuttl in the tunnel! Would have looked weird if they didn't have anything to say on the way there," Cates wrote on Twitter.
"One of those things that feels ordinary at the time and looks odd af in hindsight," she added in a separate tweet with a laughing emoji.
