Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley have carved impressive careers for themselves in their own right.
In recent times, the estranged couple have celebrated big wins when he took over as host of the Late Late Show, and she took the helm of This Morning.
But as their respective TV careers continue to blossom and grow, Patrick and Cat have grown apart. On July 29, the TV personalities announced their shock split after 13 years together, 12 years of marriage, and two children.
Their short and sweet statement read: '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.'
Here's everything we know about the beginnings of their romance, right through to their parting ways.
They met on set
Images for Moet et Chandon
It was a match made in heaven, or rather, Fame Academy, since Patrick revealed to Tommy Tiernan in January 2023 that he and his wife met on the set of the reality TV juggernaut back in 2002.
The reality of the situation at the time meant they didn't immediately fall into each other's arms, as Patrick confessed to Tommy: 'We each had partners at the time and nothing went on, but there was a wee vibe there.'
That undefinable spark led them to stay in touch with one another on a friendship basis with one thread keeping them in touch on a twice-yearly basis: their birthdays!
In Cat's rendition of the story, which she proudly shared with Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show in 2020, she recalls one specific birthday that changed everything.
He flew across the world to woo her
'There was a night where it was the day before my birthday - I can’t even remember what birthday it was now! It was 30-something - he called me and he spoke to me on the phone,' she explained to Ryan.
'He said, "Oh, what are you doing for your birthday? I’m just ringing to say happy birthday". I said, "Oh, we’re going to the Beverly Hills Hotel. We’re just going to have a late brunch; it’s going to be very civilised. It’s a shame you’re not here, otherwise, you could come".'
At the time, Patrick was in a pub in Co Down and bolted home to book a 7am flight to LA for the next day. Unsurprisingly, Cat nearly fell off her chair when he waltzed in the door. At the birthday brunch, Cat confessed she was taken by Patrick's sheer and utter charm, citing it as the moment she 'slightly fell in love with him'.
Ahead of his Late Late Valentine's Special debut, the Down native said he always had a romantic streak but 2024 was Cat's turn.
'I am an absolute born romantic…If I’d a quid for every rom-com I’ve cried at.' he said. 'I followed my heart all the way to Los Angeles to surprise my now wife for lunch. 12 years and two kids later, I think it worked out.'
After all that time together, Patrick said he and wife Cat spent Valentine's Day 2024 apart as she'd been working in the States, following a successful stint on This Morning. 'This year I'll be waiting for her to fly home and take me out to lunch!'
Wedding bells
The couple tied the knot in 2012 after a whirlwind nine months of dating. In a plot twist, Cat was so uninterested in wedding details that she let Patrick take the reigns with the planning for what would be their very chilled-out ceremony.
As potentially the most relaxed bride in history, Cat spoke to Closer after the wedding and explained: 'Patrick went and tried the food and did all that, I never even saw the place where I got married before I got married, that’s how uninvolved I was.'
She did have one requirement for the special day, however, citing that the guests had to have the time of their lives! 'I get to dress up and have really special occasions all the time, so to me, that was the most exciting thing to happen,' she discussed.
One thing she was certain about long before she even met Paddy was her Alexander McQueen gown, as she fell in love with it before she knew him and had it tucked away for a special occasion or event.
'It was so beautiful that I just couldn’t not buy it. I hadn’t even met Paddy at that stage. I put it in my cupboard and was like "I'll wear it to something... I'll wear it to some awards".'
They exchanged vows at the scenic St Isidore's College in Rome surrounded by their nearest and dearest.
So relaxed was the wedding that friends and family didn't even know about it until right before it took place! The couple managed to keep it a surprise, even going as far as getting their priest to agree to keep his trip to the Vatican private.
Growing their family
Cat had famously spoken out about wanting to start a family of her own before Patrick came along, so it's no surprise that since getting married, the couple welcomed two children.
Their adorable sons, Milo, nine, and James, seven, sometimes feature on Cat's Instagram in adorable snaps, but the couple also tends to keep them quite private.
But that doesn't stop Cat from sharing some hilarious anecdotes about mum life, such as when she appeared on The Ellen Show in 2022 discussing how they have a 'naughty' habit of not wanting to keep their clothes on!
Cat completely saw the funny side of, joking around but ultimately added: 'It's fine now but not when they are 17 and doing it in supermarkets.'
The Late Late Show
After what felt like an eternity of guessing games and rumours, RTÉ finally announced in May 2023 that Patrick would be taking over from Ryan Tubridy and joining the Late Late Show family.
Sharing in the excitement of the news, Patrick said: 'I'm absolutely thrilled to be the next host of The Late Late Show. To follow in the footsteps of Gay, Pat and Ryan as the next custodian is a real honour and I can’t thank RTÉ enough for giving me the chance to be a part of the next chapter of such an iconic show.'
Cat supported her husband by penning a cute and sweet tweet which wrote: 'A post, about the host, with the most, let’s do a toast,' upon the announcement of the news.
She also sent a really sweet keyring keepsake to her husband on the night of his debut with their son's handwriting saying 'Good luck luck with the Late Late.'
Parting ways
On July 29, 2025, Cat and Patrick shared a joint statement announcing their split after 12 years of marriage.
'We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved,' they said. '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.'
