We examine the five factors that may have contributed to the end of Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty’s 13-year marriage, from the strain of their careers to the separation of bedrooms.
TV presenter Cat Deeley and stand-up comedian Patrick Kielty were thought to have one of the most normal and down to earth relationships in showbusiness. They first met while hosting the BBC ‘s Fame Academy in 2002 and remained friends until 2011 when they became romantically involved and settled down together.
The couple now share two sons, Milo, nine, and James, seven, who were both born in the US. The family moved back to the UK in 2020 and were hopeful about their future together after both Cat, 48, and Patrick, 54, landed high profile presenting jobs and bought a grand new home.
However they shocked the entertainment world yesterday when they announced their union had come to an end after 13 years of marriage.
READ MORE: Cat Deeley said ‘poor Patrick Kielty’ in intimate bedroom admission months before split
In a joint statement they confirmed: “We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. No other party is involved, at all. We will continue to be one loving family, and we would ask that you respect our family’s privacy. ” “
We examine what might have gone wrong for the couple, as well as the five possible factors that may have affected their successful marriage, including Cat’s struggle with living in the UK and the strain of renovating their “forever home.”
a “really difficult” choice
Cat had lived in Hollywood since 2006 where she was one of the top presenters on US TV and was worth an estimated £12million. Before they moved from Los Angeles to London in 2020, Patrick and she shared a home there for almost ten years. Later, she made fun of the fact that she would return to the States for So You Think You Can Dance, a popular reality series.
They were said to have made the decision to return in part because they disliked Donald Trump and due to concerns over gun violence. Patrick’s dad, Jack, a businessman, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland so his fear of guns was understandable. It was compounded when he was in a shopping mall with Milo in 2018 and they were ordered to take cover because there were rumours a shooter was on the loose. It turned out to be a false alarm but Cat said she found it “really scary”.
When they were looking at schools and were informed of the procedures should a gunman enter the premises, it only added to their desire to make their move back to the UK to raise their sons. Other factors, Cat claimed, included wanting to be closer to family and friends.
But she has admitted finding the lack of sunshine in the UK “really hard” after enjoying the warmth of LA for so long. Recalling her US home, she labelled it “blissful”. “From my balcony you could see right the way down Benedict Canyon to the ocean,” she told The Sunday Times. “I’d sit having my coffee in the sunshine in my pyjamas surrounded by hummingbirds. At night the house glowed pink with the sunset.”
The constant scrutiny she has faced since being back in the UK has been tough on her too. When she took over at This Morning the spotlight was directly on her as she stepped into the big shoes that were once filled by Queen of daytime TV, Holly Willoughby. Her every word on the live show was analysed and she was harshly called out on many occasions if she slipped up or accidentally offended anyone.
When asked if the criticism shocked her, she called it “a very British thing,” because it just doesn’t happen in the US. “Everyone keeps pinging in with me, “Are you okay?” Do you have any control over this? ‘” she said last year before adding that she’d simply leave if it got out of hand: “I don’t care. I’m not interested. I’m going to quit if it becomes too much for me. I don’t need to do it. I could stay home for the majority of the year and then travel to America to watch the shows. I’m acting in this manner without any ulterior justification. ” “
New home “shocks”
After selling the £3-million Beverly Hills mansion. The couple set about renovating their £5 million “forever home” in Hampstead, London, for an estimated $8 million. Cat previously spoke of her delight over the 1950s five bedroom property and detailed her plans for stripping it back: “It’s going to be super-modern. She said, “I want some sculptural stairs, and the kitchen is really exciting.”
However, it is believed that the project added even more strain to their already difficult lives. After paying a visit to the house and seeing it was still a building site she said in a clip: “I’m not going to lie, I got a bit of a shock today. There isn’t much air, just lots of house. ” “
‘Work got in the way’
Following their return to the UK, Cat took up her role alongside co-host Ben Shephard on ITV ’s flagship morning chat show in March 2024, for which she is believed to be paid around £600,000 per year. The job means she has to get up super early four days a week at 5am to get to the studio in time to prepare for the show.
The previous September Patrick was handed a three-year, £216,000 contract to host 30 episodes of RTE’s Late Late Show, after he took over from Ryan Tubridy. He’s maintained a punishing weekly commute to Dublin ever since where he’s had a home in Dundrum for over 25 years. He also hosts a Saturday morning show on Radio 5 Live. Following news of the couple’s split, RTE confirmed he would be returning to his role after the summer break. “RTÉ looks forward to Patrick returning to the Late Late Show in September,” a spokesperson said.
Their roles have meant the couple’s time together was severely impacted. Patrick mentioned how difficult it was for them to balance their presenting duties with their parenting in 2024. He revealed that Cat’s return to the US for a time period filming So You Think You Can Dance had been particularly challenging following Christmas 2023.
He told The Times: “There was a moment after Christmas that was tricky. She had to fly to Atlanta for seven weeks. There was a wee bit of a juggle there. But I think with all these things, as long as you have a routine, it doesn’t take as much fizz out of you as some people think.”
After she accepted the This Morning role, he also discussed their new routine, revealing that they only actually saw each other on the weekends. “Because Cat’s doing her stuff in the morning, she would normally be back just after lunchtime. And since weekends and the beginning of the week are together, he said, “it’s not “bye.”
Cat has also described her struggles to balance work and personal life. Last year she said: “I drop the ball all the time. I have the same characteristics as everyone else. The struggle and juggle are real, and I do it. You know, we know, we’re all just trying to make everything work. ” “
Following the couple’s split announcement an insider suggested that the pressure of their careers had indeed broken them. They told the Daily Mail: “It is such sad news. They were so happy after they moved back to London, and would talk about their grand plans to renovate the house for the family. But sadly, as so often happens with relationships, work got in the way and it put a huge strain on the marriage.”
separate bathrooms
It seems even when they were under the same roof, they weren’t often in the same bed. Cat and Patrick’s sleeping arrangements were the subject of a bombshell last year that was broadcast live on This Morning. When Cat revealed that because of their work, she and Patrick frequently sleep in different rooms while she and Ben were presenting a segment about whether having separate bedrooms is essential to a happy marriage.
She said: “It’s one of those things that because of our schedule here [at This Morning], from Monday to Thursday I sleep in the guest bedroom and the rest of the time I’m back. because I want to get up earlier at 5am. ” “
Cat didn’t care about renewing vows
Cat and Patrick tied the knot in 2012 in an intimate ceremony in Italy on September 29.
She revealed that she had no idea what was going on with her fiance and that she had little faith in the plans for the wedding, St. Isidore’s College in Rome, before the ceremony.
When she was asked about the possibility of renewing their vows, she told Closer: “I barely even did my own wedding. Patrick tried the food, tried it, and did everything. I was so uninterested that I never even saw the place where I actually married before I actually married.
Source: Mirror
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