Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty have announced their separation after more than a decade of marriage, shocking fans. The couple met while hosting BBC's Fame Academy in 2002 but only went public as a couple in 2011, marrying a year later in Rome. They have two children together.
Before Patrick, the This Morning star had a five-year relationship with public relations expert Mark Whelan. There were rumours they had married, but Cat's representatives denied this. The pair split in 2006. Cat once described Mark as a former 'bad boy' who had mellowed, adding: 'He's ten years older than me and very smart and he's introduced me to things that weren't in my realm.'
A friend told the Daily Star at the time: 'Mark has been reassessing his life and decided his future wasn't with Cat. He still loves her but knew they wouldn't spend the rest of their lives together.' Cat confirmed the split but declined to discuss her private life further.
After Mark, Cat dated actor Jack Huston for two years, and later Michael McMillian, whom she thought was 'The One'. Neither relationship lasted. She married Patrick in 2012 after a whirlwind nine-month romance, following a subtle connection that began on Fame Academy. Patrick famously flew to Los Angeles to surprise her for a birthday brunch, a gesture she later said made her fall for him.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the couple said: '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 to our children and would therefore kindly ask for our family privacy to be respected.'
