In the small town of Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland, the primary subject of discussion among residents this past week has revolved around the separation of local celebrity icon, Patrick Kielty, from his long-time spouse and TV personality, Cat Deeley, who is known for her work on “This Morning.
There’s a lot of worry about Patrick, also known as Paddy within their close-knit circle, after the separation occurred.
For people familiar with the Irish presenter, there’s concern that his life could be dramatically affected, as some speculate that his wife might return to the U.S., potentially taking their two kids along. As one individual put it, “Everyone is concerned about Paddy. The worry is that Cat will go back to America with the children. This would leave him in a very difficult situation.
Yet, whispers about Catherine possibly leaving her This Morning position and returning to the United States aren’t exclusive to her hometown in Northern Ireland.
Certainly, there is a buzz about it, with whispers echoing in the halls of ITV’s White City Headquarters. Cat’s coworkers are speculating openly about the potential implications of this development for their cherished acquisition.
In 2024, she was celebrated as the rescuer for the struggling television program, which had experienced a significant decline in viewership due to the controversy surrounding Philip Schofield’s dishonesty about an affair with a younger coworker and the departure of popular figure Holly Willoughby.
Experts in the television industry have noted that Cat’s stint on This Morning hasn’t exactly flopped, but it hasn’t set the world on fire either.
She constantly faces intense examination at work, and unlike many British presenters, she enjoys a wealth of more financially rewarding opportunities in the United States.
‘There is concern that all of this family drama could lead her to walk away.’
For more than 14 years, Cat (age 48) and Patrick (age 54) had resided in Los Angeles. During this time, Cat hosted the reality TV series “So You Think You Can Dance,” for which she reportedly received £43,000 per episode.
It appears my source has mentioned that things are less than ideal at ITV currently. They’ve hinted at reductions in daytime programming budgets and potential job losses numbering in the hundreds. Such circumstances might make returning to the U.S. even more appealing.
‘There is not a happy atmosphere at the place right now,’ they said.
During this time, This Morning won’t experience the deepest reductions, but it will still face financial constraints. As a result, it’s necessary for the program to reduce its number of outdoor broadcasts and celebrity interviews from Hollywood.
Additionally, they plan to relocate from their main office in White City to a more compact, affordable studio situated in the heart of London.
Cat has been transparent about the challenges she faces adjusting to the 5 am starts on the four days a week when she hosts This Morning. She’s even disclosed that this schedule often necessitates her and Patrick sleeping in different beds at night.
As an ardent admirer, let me share that she’s invested quite a chunk of her savings on hypnotherapy, seeking relief from persistent sleepless nights. She confessed, ‘I know it might sound a bit unconventional, but I’ve exhausted all other options.’ From magnesium supplements to soothing salt baths, scented pillow sprays, sleep-inducing teas, guided meditations, and deep breathing exercises, she’s given them all a shot.
‘I’ve just come to terms with it now and as long as I get four hours, I’m OK.’
In Ireland, where Patrick, a highly acclaimed £215,000-a-year host of The Late Late Show, enjoys immense popularity, it was his fans who first noticed signs of trouble in his marriage.
For the past 17 months, I’ve been dancing around each other like two ships barely crossing paths. My partner Cat has been anchored at “This Morning” Mondays through Thursdays, while I’m off to Dublin either midweek, prepping for my Friday night show. Then, on weekends, I’m hosting Radio 5 Live from a studio in Northern Ireland. It’s been a whirlwind of separate schedules and time zones, but we manage to keep our love afloat amidst the tide.
While he is a regular sight in Dundrum, his wife’s appearances have been a rarity.
The most recent occasion that the beloved TV duo were seen by locals occurred during the previous Christmas season. At that time, Cat’s parents, Howard and Janet, made a trip from their hometown of Birmingham to gather with Patrick’s family for a grand holiday celebration. This included Mary, Patrick’s mother, as well as his brothers.
Three months later, when Mary passed away, people were taken aback when Cat didn’t attend her funeral but instead hosted This Morning. The fallout was so intense that her team felt the need to clarify: “Cat stayed home to be with her two young children before and after school on this sad day.
At the Irish television station RTE, where there is great affection for Kielty since he started working there in 2023, one of my colleagues mentioned to me that his absence had become a topic of conversation among staff members.
They mentioned to me that it was unexpected that she didn’t attend the funeral, and neither did her children.
In Ireland, such events aren’t common. Many locals did travel there, but the reception wasn’t favorable.
‘The kids seem to spend a lot of their summers in Ireland as well and loved their granny.’
But it wasn’t the first time Cat’s absence had been noted by Patrick’s colleagues.
Previously, I shared with the Late Late Show team that my spouse might join me for a live taping of their Friday night episode last year. However, as an insider confided in me, ‘She didn’t attend during my first season, and some folks playfully teased me about it. Yet, she expressed interest in joining, though unfortunately, she was unable to make it.’
Like many of Patrick’s colleagues in RTE’s entertainment department, the source has never met Cat.
They appeared to have a closely bonded family from our perspective since he worked elsewhere, but in reality, it seemed they were leading distinct lives apart from each other.
However, they added that now ‘a lot of things make sense’.
It seems likely that since everyone understood from the start that he would be here for some days and she was in the UK, you didn’t pay much attention to the details.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Cat began to doubt whether this is truly the role she anticipated when she enthusiastically joined This Morning in March 2024, especially considering her high-profile recruitment on a reported £550,000 yearly salary, having been enticed from America to fill Holly Willoughby’s shoes.
Holly left the program following a series of tense relationship developments with Schofield, as well as due to a chilling kidnap attempt against her.
Initially, it was believed that having Cat alongside host Ben Shephard could help resolve the situation, but so far, they haven’t managed to develop the same chemistry seen between Holly and Phil, or even Richard and Judy in the past.
The million viewers who tuned in for their debut last year have now dwindled to fewer than 700,000.
When Cat agreed to her contract with This Morning, set to be renewed in spring 2026, she left no doubt about her dedication to the program being firmly under her control.
In a recent interview, she said, “If things become overwhelming, I might decide to step down.” She added, “I have the option to leave and focus on being a mother for much of the year. Then, when I want, I can return to perform in the U.S. shows.
As a mother to her two boys Milo, aged nine, and James, aged seven, seems to be the role that the presenter values the most amidst personal upheavals, as hinted at by their joint statement released this week along with Kielty.
They’ve made a choice to conclude their marriage, and they are currently living apart. No other person is involved in this situation.
Let’s maintain the bond of caring parents with our kids, so we humbly request that our family’s privacy is honored.
The two-decade-long bond between Cat and Patrick, which started as camaraderie during their time on Fame Academy in 2002, ultimately concluded on a melancholic note.
For approximately ten years, they maintained a strong friendship until it evolved into a romantic relationship, which was first publicly acknowledged in March 2012. They tied the knot only six months after that, exchanging vows in a traditional Catholic wedding held in Rome, Italy, in September 2012.
A significant portion of the fault for their marital issues is often attributed to their unconventional working hours.
According to a source, it was common to spot Patrick at Dublin’s Connolly station on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, boarding the train to Belfast in the north.
As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but share that his schedule isn’t strictly consistent each week, yet, more often than not, he graces us with his presence from midweek, usually on Wednesdays, right up until he bids farewell following the performance.
Patrick acknowledged that the timing for the juggle wasn’t perfect, putting it this way: ‘Perhaps we could have coordinated it more effectively.’
‘I’ve always said that this is a dream job for me.
For Cat, this morning’s show is one of the most significant television productions out there. Therefore, it’s somewhat mind-boggling that we’re both involved in such high-profile shows together.
Apart from professional obligations, they also relocated to the UK in 2020 and later purchased a luxurious five-bedroom residence worth £5 million in London’s upscale Hampstead neighborhood, with plans to refurbish it for their growing family.
According to Cat, what caused them to depart was an alarming event that transpired in Los Angeles during 2019, where Patrick and his son Milo were unfortunately involved in a shooting incident at the Century City mall.
One day, he fetched him from the nursery in the morning and treated him to a milkshake. However, they had to seek shelter in the kitchen as they were informed that there was an armed individual in the shopping mall.
Last year’s event was vividly remembered by the cat, as she recounted that individuals were instructed to hide behind counters and forced into restrooms. She also mentioned that there were distressing sounds of shouting and sobbing coming from those affected.
Patrick entertained his son with Peppa Pig clips on his mobile device, preceding a call to Cat for her to arrive and collect them.
She said: ‘He wanted to keep Milo calm, so I didn’t understand the enormity of what was happening.
‘As I was driving, I began to see helicopters, news vans, firemen and Swat squads.’
16-year-old Patrick undoubtedly experienced an overwhelming trauma when his father, Jack, was fatally shot by the Ulster Freedom Fighters in 1988. The lasting impact of such a tragic event on him must have been significant.
A year later, the couple and their two US-born sons moved to London.
Initially, things seemed equal, but eventually, signs of disparity emerged. On a podcast, Patrick openly discussed his feelings of being less equally involved in their marriage, expressing concern that he held fewer shares compared to the other person, saying, “I thought I was part of a 50/50 partnership, and then you realize you’re actually a minority stakeholder… It seems like you have more control than me.
She discussed her feelings about the large home renovation being quite demanding, all the while yearning for the warmth of California’s sunshine.
No wonder the news of their split has everyone questioning whether she will return to the States.
According to my source within the television industry, she’s highly sought-after in America and can choose high-paying opportunities that offer a gentler workload compared to ‘This Morning.’ This would give her extra time to be with her children.
The rumors about Dundrum haven’t been met with approval by the townsfolk. Locals have noted the affectionate bond between Patrick and his sons, and enjoy watching them play with their cousins Harry and Jack. (Paraphrased)
Last year, Patrick hired a campervan for a staycation around County Down
Additionally, he also initiated his oldest son, Milo, into the world of Gaelic football on their local field. This held great significance for him because of a particularly meaningful background.
Patrick mentioned that the field is called after my father, he said. When your child participates in GAA [Gaelic Athletic Association] on a field named after his grandfather, it occasionally calls for a pause to appreciate the moment and think, ‘Wow, this is special.’
As a devoted fan, I eagerly await the host’s return to The Late Late Show in September, yet uncertain about the duration, given the tumultuous state of his personal life.
Should the cat move back to the U.S., someone remarked, it would mean the end of Paddy on The Late Late Show.
‘He loves those two fellas and would do anything to be near them.’
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2025-08-02 03:51