Latest news with #PatrickKielty
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The curse of This Morning strikes again
Did someone at This Morning shatter a dozen mirrors? ITV's beleaguered daytime show has been beset by a slew of scandals and budget cuts, and its ratings are in freefall. Insiders speak of a 'curse'. This week, it appeared to strike again. Cat Deeley, one of the show's hosts, announced on Tuesday that she is getting divorced from her husband of 12 years, Patrick Kielty – and the stresses of her job might be partly to blame. 'We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved,' Deeley, 48, and Kielty, 54, announced in a joint statement. (The couple have two sons, Milo, nine, and James, seven.) While they have yet to provide further detail on the reasons for their split, Deeley had previously hinted at the challenges that come with her role. She and Ben Shephard began co-presenting ITV's flagship show in 2024 following the dramatic departure of Phillip Schofield (after having an affair with a younger male colleague) and then Holly Willoughby. 'Like ships in the night' In May 2024, while interviewing a couple who sleep in separate bedrooms, Deeley admitted on This Morning that she regularly went to bed alone. 'Because of our schedule here, from Monday to Thursday I sleep in the guest bedroom,' she admitted. A few months later, speaking to The Times, Kielty, who presents Ireland's The Late Late Show on Friday nights, said: 'We've got the start of the week and the weekends together.' Yet in December 2024, Deeley signed a contract to continue presenting the show until at least spring 2026, for a reported salary of £600,000. This week, after announcing their decision to part, a source close to the couple told the Daily Mail the pair had drifted apart in recent times. The problem extended beyond separate bedrooms, the source added, pointing out that Deeley and Kielty 'have been living separate lives for the best part of a year'. They described the pair as being 'like ships in the night'. Indeed, as well as Deeley's gruelling This Morning schedule and Kielty's weekly commute to Dublin for The Late Late Show, which he took over in 2023, Kielty also hosts a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live. Kielty has also been supporting his family during a difficult time: his aunt died last December, and his mother Mary passed away in March. Deeley was not with Kielty for his mother's funeral in Dundrum, County Down, where he acted as a pallbearer and gave a reading during the mass. Deeley's spokesman said at the time that she was staying at home 'to be there for her two young children […] on this very sad day'. Ratings slump If Deeley has, as reported, made huge sacrifices for her job, she might begin to wonder if it was worth it. Her presenting stint with Shephard has been met with cool indifference at best. Around a million viewers tuned in for their debut in March 2024, but ratings halved in just two months. She certainly appeared to have concerns at the outset that the job could be a poisoned chalice. An insider told Heat in 2024: 'Cat is worried about taking on this role because of all the controversy that came beforehand.' The source added: ' This Morning has seen some TV titans topple – it feels like it's cursed.' Perhaps Deeley decided that throwing herself headlong into the role was the only way to save a show which had been branded as 'toxic' by some. But given how many of its previous presenters have been burned by the programme, is This Morning, in fact, an unavoidable career curse? Rachel Richardson, who writes the culture and trends newsletter highly flammable, believes that the scandal-ridden programme 'went for the really safe option' with the nice but dull pair of Deeley and Shephard, who appear to lack chemistry – and the necessary hint of anarchy. 'The show's USP has always been how ridiculous it is,' observes Richardson. 'It's an entertaining mix of high and low: one minute they're interviewing a government minister, the next it's a woman who claims she's had sex with a ghost. You have to be able to do the full range, whereas Ben and Cat are just a little beige.' ITV bosses may well have been aiming for middle-of-the-road. This Morning, which began in 1988 with the husband-and-wife team of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, went from being a trusted brand, fronted by bickering but relatable presenting pairs who you welcomed into your living room, to a calamitous soap opera. An early indication of the show's toxic environment came in 2009 with the abrupt departure of Fern Britton, who reportedly had a falling out with co-host Schofield. The latter admitted in his memoir, Life's What You Make It, published the same year, that their relationship had turned sour, while Britton told the Daily Mail in 2024 that she 'loved' the show and would 'probably still be there' but for the fact that she and Schofield 'were not getting on very well' prior to her exit. Schofield found himself under the microscope again in 2023, when Eamonn Holmes (who was part of the presenting team along with his wife Ruth Langsford between 2006 and 2020) revealed that Langsford had once made an official complaint to ITV about Schofield 'because he was so rude'. Speaking on GB News, Holmes claimed that neither Schofield nor Willoughby made the effort to learn crew members' names. Dr Ranj Singh also criticised the show (he left This Morning in 2021), claiming in 2023 it had a 'toxic culture' and that he had quit after raising concerns about the treatment of employees, particularly by This Morning 's editor Martin Frizell (who announced he was stepping down from the role in 2024). 'I felt like because I whistle-blew I was managed out,' Singh added. The Schofield crisis But the show's biggest crisis came when it lost its most popular presenting duo, Schofield and Willoughby. The public was furious when they seemingly skipped the queue to observe the late Queen lying in state in 2022. Then came the bombshell revelation that Schofield had had an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a younger male co-worker, a scandal compounded by what appeared to be his repeated attempts at a cover-up, which allegedly shattered his relationship with Willoughby. In a statement, she said: 'When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not. It's been very hurtful to find out that was a lie.' Schofield, who left This Morning in May 2023, suffered too, telling the BBC's Amol Rajan the following month that he had lost everything and felt 'utterly broken and ashamed' following the revelations and intense, sometimes vitriolic, public scrutiny – the dark side of being in the This Morning spotlight. He also said that his daughters were guarding him because he had had suicidal thoughts. Willoughby initially soldiered on following Schofield's departure from the show (beginning with the much-mocked 'Are you OK?' speech to viewers), before enduring another ordeal. In October 2023 Gavin Plumb was arrested over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her: Plumb had contacted another man, who was actually an undercover police officer. He was later convicted and jailed for a minimum of 16 years. The horrific incident was said to have had a 'catastrophic' effect on Willoughby and she announced she was leaving This Morning shortly after Plumb's arrest, saying in a statement: 'I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family.' Uncertain future As for Deeley's own future on the show, a source told The Sun last year that she would probably leave when her deal expired in 2026. 'She has zero desire to follow in Holly's footsteps,' the source said. That could well be a mutual decision if ratings continue to tumble. Richardson thinks ITV missed a trick by hiring Deeley and Shephard: 'This was an opportunity for the show to reinvent itself,' she says. ' This Morning has an increasingly older audience – if they've got any chance of being relevant to young people, they need to create viral moments that blow up on YouTube and TikTok. They need an extravagant character.' The obvious choice, says Richardson, is Alison Hammond, who presents the programme on Fridays with Dermot O'Leary. 'They may well have offered her a permanent host job. But she's busy hosting shows like Bake Off – she's got a whole other career.' Richardson suggests Rylan Clark or Stacey Solomon would also have the requisite warmth and popularity. 'You need someone that people will tune in for when there's so much competing for their attention,' she says. The show is currently trying out Love Island star Olivia Attwood in an attempt to appeal to younger viewers. But ITV might struggle to lock in talent while also slashing budgets on their daytime shows, as announced in May. More than 220 of the 440 staff at ITV Studios are expected to lose their jobs. While This Morning isn't as badly hit as Lorraine and Loose Women, it will no longer have outside broadcasts or Hammond interviewing Hollywood celebrities – ironically, the sort of content that might go viral. 'Trying to turn this ship around with fewer staff and resources is incredibly challenging,' notes Richardson. Perhaps the end is really nigh for TV's great survivor.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The mammoth £5M house renovation project in upmarket Hampstead that 'shocked' Cat Deeley before she split from Patrick Kielty after 12 years of marriage
They announced they had split after 12 years of marriage on Tuesday. But Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty happily purchased a 'forever home'. in 2023 - a derelict 1950s house in Hampstead, north London which set them back £5million. But with Patrick working in Ireland and Cat fronting This Morning in London, the project might have led the marriage to breaking point as Cat previously admitted to feeling 'shocked' by the magnitude of the process. Cat previously documented the journey on social media, candidly sharing with fans the hidden stresses that can come with a huge renovation. In a video from February 2024, Cat admitted: 'I'm not going to lie, I got a bit of a shock today. Not much house, lots of air.' Sources told Daily Mail the couple's renovation plans put 'additional stress' on the couple's marriage. Cat has documented the journey on social media, candidly sharing with fans the hidden stresses that can come with a huge renovation (pictured) Cat 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. 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. After Cat and Patrick bought the house, photos submitted as part of their planning application showed plaster peeling off the walls. Bedrooms were described as being in a 'very poor' state while many of the finishes were described as being broken or torn out by previous owners. The Grand Designs-style makeover hoped to see their 'disjointed' and 'awkward' dwelling turned into an ultra-modern dream home. The house was built on a steep slope in 'an inverted arrangement' with living rooms on the upper floor and bedrooms at garden level. They also applied for permission to build an external staircase, roof-lights and a new car port, front garden and gate. In a design statement, their architect said: 'The proposed external appearance builds on the inherent character of the existing house but updates it into a contemporary dwelling both in use and character. 'It is inspired by mid-twentieth design ranging from the designs of Alvar Aalto to houses of the west coast of America which are familiar to the clients who spent many years living there. 'Materials have also been introduced that connect the clients to their previous home in LA and to places that have significant memories for them. 'The design remodels a 1950 brick and concrete house with new and rear extensions, extensive internal alterations, adjustments to the blade roof form to bring natural light into the heart of the house.' Previous planning applications by former owners proposed the demolition of the property and a new home built instead. But the couple's planning agent said: 'The existing dwelling has some many positive qualities which the owners wish to build on and strengthen. There are other aspects of the existing house which need improving. 'It has been unoccupied for many years and is in a poor state of repair. The internal layout of the house and split levels makes the house feel disjointed and awkward at times. It is very dark in the centre of the house on both floors. 'The brief from the client is to improve the internal layout of the house which is currently very fragmented and non-functional, through some internal alterations. 'The proposal is to keep the principal character and identity of the existing house, to renovate, extend and upgrade the fabric along with internal alterations to reflect modern day family living.' Designs for Cat and Patrick's luxury living room, complete with fireplace Confirming their split in a joint statement, on Tuesday they 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. There will be no further comment.' Cat and Patrick first met in 2002 while they hosted BBC talent show Fame Academy, however sparks didn't fly between the couple until 10 years later. After being friends for years, their friendship turned to romance thanks to his major gesture when he flew all the way from Belfast to Los Angeles for brunch with Cat. 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. The couple lived in California for over 14 years as she presented So You Think You Can Dance but they put their Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $4.9 million (£3.8 million). They moved back to North London in 2020, prior to Cat securing her job at This Morning amid fears of gun violence following an incident in which Patrick had to hide from a gunman in a Los Angeles mall.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
My wild night out in Soho House with Patrick Kielty proves why he won't be single for long following Cat Deeley split
WHEN Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announced they had ended their 13 year marriage, I was really sad. Their love story - in which best pal Patrick impulsively flew from Belfast to Los Angeles for a surprise birthday brunch for Cat - was like something from a fairytale. But I know why funnyman Patrick won't be single for long. 7 In a joint statement, the 48-year-old This Morning presenter and 54-year-old comedian, who have two sons 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.' Growing up in Belfast I knew Patrick - who everyone there calls Paddy or PK - long before he was Mr Cat Deeley when, in fact, most people in England wouldn't have even heard of him. And it was our link to home that led to us having a very wild night out together. I was 25 and working on a showbiz column at a national newspaper while Paddy was a regular on TV screens having made it big having hosted ITV's Celebrity Love Island and Fame Academy alongside future wife Cat Deeley. He had just made his West End debut in A Night in November, a play about a man struggling with his religious identity in Northern Ireland after the Republic of Ireland qualified for the 1994 World Cup. Understanding the subject matter,I'd been asked to go along to review it and brought my boyfriend at the time as he was from Northern Ireland and was an old friend of Paddy's. We were also invited to attend the afterparty at the now defunct celebrity nightclub Bungalow 8. The party was jam-packed with most of Paddy's family and friends and the bar tab quickly ran out. We caught up with Paddy, who was exasperated at how quickly everyone was sinking the free booze. He jokingly told us the club manager had advised him £2000 was usually enough for drinks for the night for a group of our size but it had gone within the hour. He remarked: 'Of course the Irish will drink the place dry especially if someone else is paying.' I can remember being so shocked at the time on my lowly salary as a junior showbiz journalist that he could afford more than four times my monthly rent for a few drinks. Later on Paddy came over and invited myself and my boyfriend to join him at Soho House on Greek Street for drinks. I had never been there before but had seen it in TV shows so was determined to go along. At that time there was only one venue in London and it was incredibly exclusive. It held such an allure for me that I was thrilled to get to go behind the velvet curtain of the member's club. There were about eight of us in the group - myself, my boyfriend, a few girls and then Paddy, who very generously ordered us all burgers and bottles of champagne on tap. In the early hours and after a lot of fizz (in those days the club stayed open as late as the members wanted it to with much more relaxed closing times) I returned from the toilet to find one of the extremely beautiful girls that was with us sitting on my boyfriend's knee. 'BIT OF AN EEJIT' He had been incredibly flirty with her all night and I was upset at the sight before me. I went to the toilet to compose myself (and ring my best friend who lived in America at the time for advice on how to handle the situation). When I came outside Paddy was waiting for me at the door. 'I thought you might be upset so I wanted to check you were alright. He's getting on like a bit of an eejit so I don't think you should go in there.' I will admit by this stage of inebriation and being quite young and upset that my boyfriend wasn't behaving well, I started to cry. 7 7 Paddy comforted me and offered me some advice 'Listen you are a lovely Belfast girl but Northern Irish boys are all bad news. Even me! I can tell that one is a player. He's not good for you.' He then told me that despite wanting to go in and cause a whole row over his behaviour, that the better thing to do would be to just do an 'Irish exit' and go home without saying goodbye and keep my dignity and leave him wondering where I went. He even called me an Addison Lee taxi on account and told them to take me wherever I needed to go. This is before Ubers so I NEVER got taxis and always navigated numerous night buses to get home. He was right of course and I was grateful to get home safely to my bed without causing a scene. A few weeks later I was chatting to my fellow Northern Irish pal, Nadine Coyle who told me a very similar story. She was living in LA at the time and dating Desperate Housewives hunk Jesse Meltcalfe. They had got into a row in a club and Paddy, who was also there, came over and encouraged the Girls Aloud star to get the upper hand by just leaving instead of continuing fighting. We chuckled that Paddy was like a superhero saving Northern Irish girls from their terrible partners. Paddy actually spoke about Nadine and the sexy gardener's bust up back in 2007 on Chris Moyles Breakfast Show on BBC1 Radio 1. SUPERHERO PADDY He said: "I've known Nadine for years. She and Jesse are always bickering. They had an argument in a club one night and I ended up dropping her home, so he wasn't that impressed with me. "Then I bumped into them in this hotel foyer in Los Angeles and she was like 'Hey Paddy, what are you doing here? I'm going to a wee party tonight with Jesse, do you want to come?' I bumped into Nadine at a hotel and she said, 'Hello Patrick, how are you? Have you met my boyfriend Jesse?' 'He glared and gave me that, 'You fancy my girlfriend' look. I could tell he hated me. I thought he was a bit of a tit." "And I said 'Yeah, where's the party?' and he kind of looked at me and said 'It's just off Sunset but uh, you wouldn't know where that is'." But he had a quickfire answer for the star. Paddy is always someone who will stand up for the underdog and do what is right. Kelly Allen "I used to go out to an aunt of mine in Los Angeles whenever I was 18 for the summers and I said 'Oh no, I do - I used to landscape garden out in LA' - which I had done - but he just looked at me as if I was completely taking the waz out of him because he was the landscape gardener (on TV)!" Paddy is always someone who will stand up for the underdog and do what is right. In fact the first time I met him I was still a child and he came to my rescue. I actually was only 11 when I first bumped into him when he was an aspiring TV presenter on a local kids show called SUS in 1993. Dreaming of working in media, my mum got me tickets to be in the audience of the filming of the show at the UTV building - on the condition I took my two little brothers with me. At six, my youngest brother Curtis was clearly too young to be there - I think we lied and said he was 10. We were taken to a holding area and found ourselves among a gaggle of children who were all determined to get to the front of the crowd and get themselves on TV. When the floor manager finally opened the doors, there was a rush to get into the studio and blag the best spot. In their haste, some bigger children pushed my brother over. Even now thinking back it was terrifying as he was on the floor and kids were running over the top of him. Suddenly the dressing room door opened and Paddy walked out and, clocking what happened yelled 'Everyone stop'. 7 And everyone did. He yanked my brother to his feet and said 'Are you alright fella? Do you want to walk in with me?' We smugly were escorted by Paddy to the front of the audience and everyone we knew saw us on TV. Despite his warning to me that he was 'bad news' I've never seen evidence of it. I've bumped into Paddy more over the years and he's always that same chatty local lad I met back in the 90s. In fact the last time I saw him in November 2022 he was hosting a quiz for Tourism Ireland and complimented me for my excellent knowledge about Tayto crisps. We won of course. Cat admitted she 'slightly fell in love with him" when he flew half way across the world to attend her birthday brunch. Speaking previously she said: 'He rang me from a pub in Ireland. Bear in mind it was probably about 2 o'clock in the morning because they had had a lock-in. I told him I was having a birthday brunch at the Beverley Hills Hotel to which he said 'I'll see you there'. He went home, set his alarm for 5am, got up, went to the airport, flew from Belfast to London then jumped on the first plane from London to LA.' I've no doubt the funnyman, who has always been the most consummate gentleman to every woman I know, will be snapped up quickly. After all, how many men exist that would do such a grand gesture as that?
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Patrick Kielty's family tragedy: Irish comedian was just 16 when he lost his father in a horrific IRA shooting - as star announces split from wife Cat Deeley just months after her noticeable absence from his mother's funeral
Their split shocked the showbiz world on Tuesday after Cat Deeley and her husband Patrick Kielty announced they were separating after 12 years of marriage. News of their split came just five months after the TV presenter's noticeable absent from Patrick's mother's funeral in March. It was reported that she stayed home in order to support their two young children, Milo, nine, and James, seven, who were suffering the loss of their grandmother. However his mother's death wasn't the first tragedy to rock the family after his father was shot by protestant paramilitaries who claimed he was an IRA chief during the Troubles when Patrick was just 16 years old. His businessman father Jack was gunned down by loyalist shooters from the Ulster Freedom Fighters at his desk in 1988 at the age of 44 after refusing to pay protection money. Patrick previously recalled the moment he was called into the headteacher's office to be told of his father's death. He revealed he thought he assumed he was just in trouble until he was issued with the devastating news. Patrick explained: 'I remember going to school and like lots of other kids who were 16, putting up your posters for Comic Relief. 'And being called to the headmaster's office and thinking "I didn't ask permission to put these posters up, here we go". 'The headmaster said, "I think you need to sit down". There was a slow motion but very quick exchange. 'He said "your father's been shot". I said "is he dead?" and he said "yes".' It wasn't until later that Patrick and his family found out why his father had been targeted. He explained: 'Rather than pay protection money to loyalist paramilitaries he decided to go to the police.' Patrick's father was in his building firm's office when members of the Loyalist Ulster Freedom Fighters sprayed it with bullets. It was a case of mistaken identity, with the killers believing Jack to be an officer in the IRA, a link that was immediately dismissed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and family members. Speaking candidly about his father's death in the BBC documentary My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me, Patrick revealed he could never forgive those who killed his dad. Patrick said: 'I can't forgive them. But whether or not these people are in jail, it's not going to bring Dad back. 'I felt if this is what has to happen to stop this happening to someone else, I'll suck that up. I won't hug them and tell them it was OK - but I want to move on.' He also revealed the IRA tried to recruit him to exact revenge on his killers as he added: 'At the time of my dad's death, there were thousands of armed paramilitaries and it would've been easy for me to pick up a gun myself. 'My dad's brother had been approached in the graveyard by the IRA to say, "look, we could probably use a couple of good smart strong strapping lads like those Kielty lads if they're interested in revenge". 'They were told in no uncertain terms where to go. Everyone wants to believe their loved one died for a cause. But my dad died for nothing.' Patrick's mother Mary was 46 when her husband died and she never remarried, raising Patrick and his brothers John and Cahal as a single mother. The TV star previously said of his mother: 'My dad was a brave man but it was my mum who wanted to protect us. 'She's the one who raised the family and kept us together. She was 46 when he died and she never remarried.' It is no surprise that the three brothers had such a close bond to their mother who passed away aged 80 at her home in the village of Dundrum in March this year. The Irish comedian looked bereft as he carried her coffin at her funeral in County Down. A death notice said Mary 'will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her entire family circle, neighbours and friends'.
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Who is Cat Deeley's husband Patrick Kielty and how many children do they have?
THIS Morning star Cat Deeley announced her separation from her husband of over 10 years, Patrick Kielty, on Tuesday July 29. Advertisement Following 6 Patrick and Cat have been married since 2012 Credit: Getty They said in a joint statement to the PA news agency: "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. There will be no further comment." Who is Patrick Kielty? Patrick Kielty is a comedian and television personality from Northern Ireland. Advertisement He was born on January 31, 1971, in Downpatrick, Co Down, Northern Ireland, and grew up in the neighbouring village of Dundrum. He is known for presenting TV and radio shows. Patrick is a veteran of Irish TV also, as he continues to host late night talk show the Late Late Show on RTE. 6 Advertisement When did he marry Cat Deeley? Do they have children? Patrick and his wife They meet in 2002 while joint hosting pop reality show Fame Academy, and over the years of friendship, a The couple married in a private ceremony in Rome on September 30, 2012. The pair have two children, Milo and James. Advertisement 6 They joint hosted pop reality show Fame Academy Credit: BBC What are the details behind the split? For the past two years 6 The couple have been married for over 13 years Credit: Splash Rumours started circling the couples marriage after Cat unfortunately failed to Advertisement The couple explained her absence was purely to continue to be there for their children, conducting school pick ups and drop offs. But there were other It is believed that their marriage was 6 Advertisement When did Patrick Kielty get his big break? Although Patrick had carved a career out for himself in Northern Ireland as a TV personality and stand-up comedian, he shot to wider prominence when he fronted shows like BBC's Fame Academy (2002 to 2003) and ITV's Love Island (2005 to 2006). Since then he has become a well known face on TV and voice on the radio. He has been a guest host on various shows including The One Show and This Morning. Patrick can also be heard on the radio, and has enjoyed stints on high profile stations like Radio 2. Advertisement 6 Advertisement MORE ON CAT Exclusive What happened to Patrick Kielty's dad Jack? When Patrick was just 16 years old, loyalist parliamentarians shot and killed his father. Kielty revealed that during his dad's funeral the IRA approached him to join them. Advertisement In April 2018, Patrick discussed his dad's death on BBC One's My Dad, The Peace Deal And Me, teling how the Good Friday Agreement allowed his father's killers to walk free. Kelly Brook presents Celebrity Love Island in 2005 with Patrick Kielty
