When Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty returned to Blighty from Los Angeles, they had such high hopes for the future that they splashed out £5million on their ‘forever home’ in London‘s leafy Hampstead.
But yesterday the showbiz couple broke the sad news that they had split after 12 years of marriage.
In a joint statement, Ms Deeley, 48, and Kielty, 54, confirmed: ‘We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved.’
They added: ‘We will continue to be united as loving parents to our children and would therefore kindly ask for our family privacy to be respected.’
Sources have now told the Daily Mail that the couple ‘have been living separate lives for the best part of a year’.
An insider said: ‘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.’
Since 2023, Kielty has maintained a gruelling schedule, commuting to Dublin to present The Late Late Show while also hosting Saturday mornings on Radio 5 Live. Our source added: ‘When Cat took the This Morning job in 2024, they were becoming more and more like ships in the night. Patrick, in particular, has been spending more time in his native Dundrum where he has had a home for 25 years. His aunt died on Christmas Eve, and his mother’s health was up and down before her death in March.
Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty ‘have been living separate lives for the best part of a year’
The former couple together in 2024, shortly before things started to unravel as their schedules became too great a burden on the marriage
Ms Deeley and Kielty first met in 2002 while they hosted BBC talent show Fame Academy
‘His brothers John and Cahal have been such a comfort to him.’
Suspicion that the couple might split was first sparked in March, when Kielty carried his mother Mary’s coffin through his home village, where he was joined by close family members. There was no sign of Ms Deeley.
The mother of two, who presented This Morning on the day of the funeral, later explained that she stayed home to support their two young children, Milo, nine, and James, seven, who were mourning their grandmother. A spokesman said at the time: ‘Cat remained at home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day.’
A month later, Ms Deeley was pictured in Marbella looking downcast with her parents Janet and Howard.
I’m also told that the renovation plans for the £5million home bought in 2023 put additional ‘stress’ on the couple.
Ms Deeley documented how the 1950s property was stripped back, with ambitions to create a grand entrance hall, demolish a living room mezzanine floor and extend the bedrooms and terrace.
‘In one clip, she said she was overwhelmed by the project, admitting: ‘I’m not going to lie, I got a bit of a shock today. Not much house, lots of air.’
The five-bedroom home is also said to have a ‘nanny suite’, guest room, his and hers dressing rooms, a bar, snug and children’s play area planned, while the existing garage will be converted into a ‘boot room’ and office.
Ms Deeley had also recently discussed whether separate rooms were the key to a happy marriage on This Morning, when she revealed she slept in a separate bedroom from Kielty in the week.
She explained: ‘It’s one of those things that because of our schedule here [This Morning], from Monday to Thursday I sleep in the guest bedroom and the rest of the time I’m back. Because otherwise I get up at 5am and I want to fall asleep earlier.’ Kielty presents The Late Late Show on Fridays, but often flies to Dublin in the days before to prepare sections.
Asked about their schedules last year, Kielty said: ‘There are lots of people who are getting up earlier than we are and see less of each other than we do. We’re quite lucky where there are days where we see each other right the way through. It’s no hardship.
Cat alongside This Morning co-host Ben Shephard. She joined the show in 2024
‘We probably could have timed it better in terms of the juggle. I’ve always said that 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 like that is kind of mad.’ He added: ‘I’ve had my house in Dundrum for 25 years now and I’ve always been back and forth. The kids are in school in London and Cat works in London, she’s there four days a week.
‘I can just about come to Dublin to do what I do, but she’s in ITV four days a week.’ Asked whether he would ever consider moving to the Emerald isle, he said there were ‘no plans yet’ but added that Dundrum would always be his ‘home’.
Ms Deeley and Kielty first met in 2002 while they hosted BBC talent show Fame Academy. But friendship turned to romance ten years later when he flew from Belfast to Los Angeles for a surprise birthday brunch with Cat.
He previously told the Mail: ‘Well, there had always been a spark between us, but either she was with someone or I was, and then she moved to LA. Unless someone was stupid enough to get on a plane, nothing would have happened.’ They married in a secret ceremony in Rome in 2012 with close family and friends.
The couple lived in California for over 14 years, where Ms Deeley presented So You Think You Can Dance. They put their Beverly Hills mansion on the market for £3.8million and moved back to North London in 2020, prior to Cat securing her This Morning job.
It followed a terrible incident in which Patrick and their son hid from a gunman in an LA mall.
Before marrying Kielty, Ms Deeley was married to businessman Mark Whelan for five years. They divorced in 2006. Kielty was in a high-profile relationship with presenter Amanda Bryam for five years, separating in 2003.
