Cat Deeley opens up about her experiences on This Morning, talking about Holly Willoughby’s kind gesture and why she’s leaving the show.
The 47-year-old TV presenter, who took on the role full-time in March this year, took on the role of co-host alongside Ben Shepherd after several guest presenting stints.
Cat’s performances on the series were well received by audiences and the producers were keen to sign her on permanently.
But the mother of two, who has sons Milo, eight, and James, five, with her husband Patrick Kielty, also stressed that she doesn’t mind negative feedback.
Someone who made her feel welcome on the show was former presenter of 14 years Holly Willoughby, who revealed the stars’ “stylish move” when she joined the show.
Cat Deeley has spoken candidly about her experience on This Morning, revealing Holly Willoughby’s kind gesture and the reason she is leaving the show
The 47-year-old TV presenter, who took on the role full-time in March this year, took on the role of co-host with Ben Shepherd after several guest presenting stints
She told the Sunday Times: ‘Holly sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a handwritten card. It was a very classy gesture, it really touched me.’
Cat also detailed her plans to meet Holly, adding: ‘At some point, when the dust settles, I’m sure we’ll get together. People always talk about it pitting women against women, but that’s just not true.’
Holly, 42, announced her decision to leave the daytime show on her Instagram page. She confirmed that she “will not be returning” to the show and said she made the decision for “herself and her family.”
Holly has faced a number of backlashes in 2023, starting with criticism of her golden girl status during Queuegate, when she and former presenter Phillip Schofield were accused of cutting in line at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Holly was reportedly upset at the change in public opinion of her at the time and the scandal is said to have caused a rift in her relationship with Phillip, 62, with insiders claiming that ‘cracks were beginning to appear’ between the once close pair.
Sources said relations between the co-hosts and friends continued to deteriorate in the coming months, coming to a head when it emerged that Phillip had been having an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger male colleague.
Cat admitted that the “constant scrutiny” is new to her, having worked in the US for years where she didn’t experience the same kind of grief.
She will return to the This Morning couch on September 2, alongside Ben, with whom she recently revealed she swaps beauty tips (pictured during their first show)
Cat’s performances on the show were well received by the audience and the producers were keen to sign her on permanently
When asked if it had shocked her, she said, “Yes! Everyone keeps checking in with me, ‘Are you OK? Are you handling this OK?’
Cat then boldly claimed that she would stop if it ever got too much, saying, “I don’t care. I don’t care. If it gets too much, I’ll stop.”
“I don’t have to do it. I could stop and be a mother for most of the year and then go to the shows in America. There’s no hidden motive for me to do it.”
Cat, who lives in a rented property in North London while their family home is being renovated, spent the summer in St Tropez with her young family.
During her summer vacation, a number of guest presenters were hired to host the show in their absence.
Friday favourites Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary kicked off the summer shows on Monday 15 July, with a mix of familiar faces returning to the sofa.
Cat, who lives in a rented property in North London while their family home is being renovated, spent the summer in St Tropez with her young family
The mother of two has sons Milo, eight, and James, five, with her husband Patrick Kielty
Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rylan Clark, Rochelle Humes and Joel Dommett, plus new mother Sian Welby, were also among the many faces in attendance.
She will return to the This Morning couch on September 2, alongside Ben, with whom she recently revealed she enjoys swapping beauty tips.
They have only been presenting the ITV morning show together for five months, but the pair have become so close that they now wear eye patches together.
Ben, 49, said: ‘As I approach my 50th birthday I’ve really got better at my skincare regime. And actually Cat is amazing and sharing the under eye patches with you guys was a big moment.’
The presenter said he has added the popular treatment to his morning routine to reduce “the bags” around his eyes before appearing on TV.
Cat added, “We’re very open about it! I wear mine in the car on the way here. You wear yours when you get here. Suddenly we’re 27.”
