Cat Deeley has revealed the reason why she swapped LA for London, though she has admitted there is one aspect of the capital she has struggled with.
The This Morning host lived in California with her then-husband Patrick Kielty and two boys for 15 years, before deciding to return to the UK in 2020.
Deeley made a name for herself in the States, hosting 17 seasons of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance from 2006 to 2024.
Melting pot culture
She has previously said that she loved the privacy she experienced in the US. “When Tom Cruise lives down the road, no one really cares about me in Whole Foods,” she told The Telegraph in 2021.
However, the presenter and her family decided to relocate in 2020 as she missed the “melting pot” culture of the capital.
Speaking to The Times on Wednesday, the 49-year-old said: “I moved back to the UK because I wanted the boys to be educated here.
“London is a melting pot. I like that there is very little segregation and I think it’s important that [my sons] see different types of people from different backgrounds.”
She added that she wanted sons Milo and James to appreciate the opportunities that come with living in the capital and “never take them for granted”.
Return to UK television
After returning to the UK, Deeley landed a presenting role on This Morning alongside Ben Shephard in 2024.
However, she has admitted that one aspect of UK life has taken some adjusting to.
“I struggled with the weather when we moved back to London. In LA, I’d open my doors and have a coffee in my pyjamas outside.”
Deeley has also previously revealed that a shooting at a mall also spurred their decision to leave the US.
In 2019, Patrick and Milo were shopping at LA’s Westfield Century City mall when the FBI arrived and ordered customers to take cover from a gunman. She explained to Lorraine Kelly on an episode of Lorraine that whilst it turned out just to be a scare, it became a “catalyst” for the move.
Last year, Deeley split with Kielty after more than a decade of marriage. "We will continue to be united as loving parents to our children and would therefore kindly ask for our family privacy to be respected. There will be no further comment," the pair said in a joint statement.
