Cat Deeley has spoken about her experience on This Morning and revealed Holly Willoughby’s kind gesture and why she left the show.
The 47-year-old TV presenter, who started working full-time in March this year, accepted the co-hosting role with Ben Shepherd after several guest-hosting appearances.
Cat’s appearances on the show were warmly received by audiences and the producers were eager to hire her on a permanent basis.
But the mother-of-two, who shares sons Milo, eight, and James, five, with husband Patrick Kielty, also insisted she doesn’t mind any negative comments at all.
One person who made her feel welcome on the show was 14-year-old former presenter Holly Willoughby, who revealed the stars’ “fancy move” when she joined the show.
Cat Deeley has spoken about her experience on This Morning and revealed Holly Willoughby’s kind gesture and why she left the show.
The 47-year-old TV presenter, who started her full-time job in March this year, accepted the co-hosting role with Ben Shepherd after several guest-hosting appearances.
She told the Sunday morningHolly sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a handwritten card. It was such a thoughtful gesture and I was really touched.
Cat also detailed her plans to reunite with Holly, adding: “At some point, once the dust settles, I’m sure we’ll get together. People always talk about women taking on other women, but it’s not actually true.”
Holly, 42, announced her decision to leave the daytime show on her Instagram page, as she confirmed that she “will not be returning” to the show and revealed that she had made the decision “for herself and her family.”
Holly has suffered a number of blows throughout 2023, starting when her golden girl status was called into question during ‘Queuegate’, when she and former co-presenter Phillip Schofield were accused of queue-jumping at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
At the time, Holly was said to be distraught by the shift in public opinion towards her and the scandal reportedly caused a rift in her relationship with Phillip, 62, with insiders claiming “cracks began to appear” between the once close couple.
According to some sources, relations between the co-hosts and their friends deteriorated further in the following months. They came to a head when it emerged that Phillip had been having a “reckless but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague.
Cat admitted that the “constant scrutiny” is new to her after spending years working in the US, where she didn’t suffer the “same kind of pain”.
She is due to return to the This Morning sofa on September 2 alongside Ben, who she recently revealed she swaps beauty tips with (pictured during her first show).
Cat’s appearances on the show were warmly received by audiences and the producers were eager to hire her on a permanent basis.
Asked if she was surprised, she said: “Yes! Everyone asks me: ‘Are you OK? Are you handling this okay?’
Cat went on to boldly state that she would stop working if the situation became overwhelming: “I don’t care. I don’t care. If it becomes too much for me, I’ll stop working.”
“I don’t need to do it. I could stop being a mother for most of the year and then go do the shows in the States. I don’t have any other reason to do it.”
Cat, who is living in a rented property in North London while her family home is being renovated, has been spending the summer in Saint Tropez with her young family.
During his summer break, a rotation of guest presenters were hired to run the show in his absence.
Friday favourites Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary kicked off the summer shows on Monday 15 July, before a mix of familiar faces returned to the sofa.
Cat, who is living in a rented property in North London while her family home is being renovated, has been spending the summer in Saint Tropez with her young family.
The mother of two shares sons Milo, eight, and James, five, with husband Patrick Kielty.
Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rylan Clark, Rochelle Humes and Joel Dommett, plus new mum Sian Welby, were also among the rotating cast of faces.
She is due to return to the This Morning sofa on September 2 alongside Ben, who she recently revealed she swaps beauty tips with.
They have only presented the ITV breakfast show together for five months, but the pair have become so close they share eye patches.
Ben, 49, said: “As I approach my 50th birthday, I’ve really stepped up my skincare routine. And Cat is actually amazing, and being able to share the under-eye patches with you has been a great moment.”
The presenter said he introduced the popular treatment into his morning regimen to “reduce puffiness” around his eyes before going on air.
Cat added: ‘We’re very open about it. I use mine in the car when I arrive. You use yours when you arrive. Suddenly, we’re 27.’