Kelly Jo Bates (née Callaham) (born October 26, 1966) is the matriarch of the Bates family. She is the wife of Gil Bates with whom she has 19 children and 17 grandchildren.
Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. Josie Bates has suffered a miscarriage.
The Bringing Up Bates star revealed the sad news on Instagram Wednesday, explaining that she and husband Kelton Balka were “over the moon” to be expecting a sibling for their 13-month-old daughter Willow Kristy in March 2021 but found out during “a recent ultrasound” that she had lost the baby. Get push notifications with news, features and more.
Kelly Jo (Callaham) Bates is the daughter of the late Kenneth H. Callaham, Sr. and Betty Jo Callaham. She is the younger sister of Chip Callaham, Kay Mount, and Kim Adkins, the older sister of Beth and Beka Miller, and the stepsister of William, Ty, and Lee Miller.
When did Kelly Bates and her family start?
In the episode “When Big Families Collide”, which aired on October 13, 2008, the show’s viewers were introduced to the Bates family. Kelly and her family went on to appear in a number of episodes throughout the show’s ten season run.
Social media. Instagram. Facebook. Kelly Jo Bates (née Callaham) (born October 26, 1966) is the matriarch of the Bates family. She is the wife of Gil Bates with whom she has 19 children and 17 grandchildren.
Kelly began college at Anderson University, where she met William Gilvin Bates. The two served on the same ministry team, and when Gil needed tutoring for his chemistry class, Kelly was the lab assistant. The two then transferred to Carson Newman University. Gil proposed to Kelly while they were still in school.
Although Gil and Kelly had expected to not start having children until they had been married for five years, Kelly got pregnant only a few months after getting married, and on December 30, 1988 , the couple’s first child, Zachary Gilvin, was born.
On March 13, 2012, a special episode of the show, “The Bates Family: And Baby Makes 19” premiered, which served as a sort of re-introduction to the family before the premiere of their own TLC show, United Bates of America, on August 13, 2012. The show ran for one season, before announcing on October 6, 2012, that it had been canceled.
She was the couple’s fourth child, and her mother went on two adopt two more children after her. Not much is known about Kelly’s childhood. At some point when she was a child, her parents divorced. Her mother remarried twice once Kelly was an adult, with her third husband coming after her second husband’s death.
The show ran for one season, before announcing on October 6, 2012, that it had been canceled. On November 18, 2014, the family announced they had begun filming for a second reality show, Bringing Up Bates. Bringing Up Bates, which premiered on UpTV on January 1, 2015, is currently in its tenth season.
How many kids does Kelly have?
The couple has four children, Allie Jane (4/11/15), Lexi Mae (1/26/17), Zoey Joy (3/28/18) and Maci Jo (02/09/21). On August 15, 2015, Kelly’s daughter Michaela married Brandon Keilen. Michaela had Kelly as her matron of honor. The couple currently does not have any children, and has been vocal about their struggles with infertility.
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On March 13, 2012, a special episode of the show “The Bates Family: And Baby Makes 19” premiered, which served as a sort of re-introduction to the family before the premiere of their own TLC show, United Bates of America, on August 13, 2012.
Although Gil and Kelly had expected to not start having children until they had been married for five years, Kelly got pregnant only a few months after getting married, and on December 30, 1988 , the couple’s first child, Zachary Gilvin, was born.
The show ran for one season, before announcing on October 6, 2012, that it had been canceled. On November 18, 2014, the family announced they had begun filming for a second reality show, Bringing Up Bates. Bringing Up Bates, which premiered on UpTV on January 1, 2015, is currently in its sixth season.
