This Morning's new host Cat Deeley's showbiz husband and 'terrifying' experience

02 February 2024 , 08:59

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Comedian Patrick Kielty and TV personality Cat Deeley have been married for over a decade (Image: Getty Images North America)

Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard will be ITV's new 'dream team' on This Morning and are set to replace long-term hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

The pair are expected to shoot their launch pictures, trailers and promotions for the show this month ahead of the official announcement, it has been revealed by the Mirror. An insider said yesterday: "The cat's out of the bag - they are the new dream team. ITV is planning to announce Cat and Ben as their new star pairing in March."

The source said Cat is a "very recognisable face, thanks to her long stint of working on kids' TV". They added: "Back in the 90s and early 2000s, when she worked with Ant and Dec on SMTV Live, she was very warm and funny so it's hoped they can recreate some of that magic together."

The 47-year-old former model joined Rylan Clark on the ITV sofa at the end of last year and "impressed" producers who were reportedly keen to get her to join the programme for quite some time. A source in November that Cat is a "seasoned pro" and "takes live TV in her stride and is really witty and personable with guests".

But what do we know about the new This Morning presenter? Here, the Mirror takes a look at Cat's life off-camera.

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Cat and Patrick have been married for over 10 years and have two kids together (James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)

She will permanently host This Morning and take over from Holly Willoughby's role (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Cat has been a familiar face on our screens for over two decades, with the British television presenter hosting shows in the UK and the US, including SM:TV Live with Ant and Dec, Stars in Their Eyes and So You Think You Can Dance. The mum-of-two is married to comedian Patrick Kielty and they have two sons together, Milo, four, and James, two.

The family was living in sunny California when Patrick and Milo were caught up in a terrifying mall shooting a few years ago. In 2020, the couple made the decision to move back to England after the traumatic experience with gun violence.

The husband and son duo were at the Century City Mall in LA when FBI agents started ordering shoppers to take cover because there was a shooter on the loose. Cat told You magazine in 2020: "They shut down the centre. I got a call from Paddy, saying, 'They're taking us out through the fire exits but nobody can get to their car. If we walk to a junction, can you come and get us?' He wanted to keep Milo calm, so I didn't understand the enormity of what was happening."

The couple met at work as presenters and formed a friendship in the nineties (BBC)

Cat recalled the terrifying moment her family was trapped in a mall with a shooter on the loose (Getty Images North America)

The mum-of-two recalled seeing helicopters, vans, firemen and SWAT [armed police response] squads as she was driving. She told the publication it was 'terrifying' and 'fear' was part of their decision to move back to the UK. She was also unnerved when looking at schools in America for Milo, as kids are taught how to react if there is a live shooter on the premises. "The danger suddenly becomes a reality," she said.

Cat and Patrick have been together for over a decade, but formed a close friendship 10 years before things turned romantic. They bonded on the set of Fame Academy in 2002 and got married in 2012. Speaking about their decision to start a family, Cat told the Made by Mammas podcast in 2020: "I'd always wanted to have kids, and he had, too. What we didn't want to do is put any stress and we just didn't want to be anxious about it. It was like, 'OK let's just see how it goes'."

Are Cat and Ben a good choice to host This Morning? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.

Patrick is a well-known presenter, writer and actor, having hosted The Late Late Show in Northern Ireland as well Love Island and This Morning. The 53-year-old star has also appeared in several award-winning documentaries and films, including My Dad, The Peace Deal And Me, about his father's death at the hands of paramilitary gunmen.

Nia Dalton