Fans were rocked last week when TV presenting couple Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announced they had split after more than 12 years of marriage. The This Morning star and the Irish host, who have two sons together, said in a joint statement, ‘We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved. We will continue to be united as loving parents.’
The break-up may have come as a shock to many, but not to those close to the pair. ‘Cat and Patrick’s marriage had been over for a while. Her doing This Morning and him being in Ireland [he presents flagship series The Late Late Show] a lot of the time was the final nail in the coffin,’ an insider tells heat.
‘They were having problems while they were living in LA and thought moving back to the UK to be nearer family would help, but they just couldn’t work things out. They want to remain close, as they were such good friends before they got together – and obviously the boys will come first.’
Their split came four months after Cat, 48, missed the funeral of Patrick’s mum, Mary. At the time, sources said it was so she could support sons Milo, nine, and James, seven, although she did still present This Morning on that day. Tellingly, she also recently revealed that she and Patrick slept in separate rooms.
‘It’s one of those things that, because of our schedule here, from Monday to Thursday I sleep in the guest bedroom. I get up at 5am and I want to fall asleep earlier,’ she said. Patrick also revealed they spend four days apart, with him in Ireland, following Cat’s admission that she had found their return to the UK ‘really hard’.
Cat and Patrick, 54, became friends when they co-hosted Fame Academy in 2002, but they didn’t start dating until nearly a decade later, after he travelled from Belfast to LA to surprise her for her birthday. They married in Rome in 2012, and settled in California, staying for more than 14 years while Cat became a star as host on So You Think You Can Dance. They made the decision to move back to London in 2020, after Patrick and Milo were caught up in a ‘terrifying’ mall shooting.
Last year, Cat became the new host of This Morning alongside Ben Shephard, while Pat continued to host The Late Late Show in Ireland. ‘We probably could have timed it better in terms of the juggle,’ Patrick said of their work. ‘I’ve always said this is a dream job for me. For Cat, This Morning is one of the biggest jobs in TV over there. So, for the two of us to be doing two big shows is kind of mad.’
Now, our insider says that Cat – who was previously married to PR exec Mark Whelan – isn’t looking to rush into a new romance. ‘She wants to enjoy being single and just putting herself and the boys first. She’s off for the whole summer and, obviously, they’ll split their time with her and Patrick, so she wants to make the most of that,’ we’re told.
The source continues, ‘She has always been in relationships and only wants to start dating again when she’s ready. All her friends are ready to play matchmaker, but she’s quite happy at the moment.’
In the meantime, we’re told she’s leaning on her close circle. ‘Cat has a very strong group of friends,’ says our insider. ‘Ben has been great – Cat’s been dealing with a lot and he’s been her shoulder to cry on when things have got tough. It’s been very stressful and there have been some tears. She feels guilty because of the boys, but she knows it’s the right thing and she wants to enjoy life.’