Cat Deeley found moving back to the UK 'really hard' before split from Patrick Kielty

Presenter Cat Deeley admitted that she found moving back to the UK with her husband Patrick Kielty and their two children "really hard". The former couple, who announced their separation this week, had lived in the US for years.

Cat, 48, and Patrick, 54, relocated from Los Angeles to London in 2020, after having lived abroad for more than a decade. She later teased that she would be back stateside each summer for her role on So You Think You Can Dance.

The former couple, who have been married since 2012, were said to have made the decision in part due to concerns over gun violence. Cat, who took over as host of This Morning after returning to the UK, has also said that other factors included wanting to be closer to family and friends.

Speaking to the Sunday Times last year, Cat recalled them relocating after an incident saw Patrick and one of their kids ordered to take cover at a shopping mall. The outlet reported that there rumours of a shooter in the area but it turned out to be over a suspect package. Cat said in the interview that she found the experience to be "really scary".

It was further stated at the time that she found their subsequent return to the UK, with its lack of sunshine, "really hard". Cat however said told the outlet that the Los Angeles she visits now is different from the place she first knew.

She said: "It doesn't feel as safe as it used to be. There's an edge, which wasn't there before. The health system is failing miserably." Cat added that after the Covid pandemic there are "lots of vulnerable people" with "severe mental health issues" that have ended up falling "through the net".

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine in 2020, Cat said that the mall incident was the "catalyst" for returning to the UK. She however shared that the couple had "always" planned to live close to their families for the sake of their kids at some point.

She said: "Our boys they've got grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins that they adore, and they adore them right back. For us, it was like, it's such a special moment in time and you don't get those times back again. So we had always thought we would bring them back here so they could know everybody in the family and friends."

Cat and Patrick are thought to have been living separate lives lately, years on from their relocation. It's been speculated that their time apart due to conflicting schedules, with Patrick working in Ireland, for example, may have contributed to their break-up, which was announced today.

The former couple shared the news in a joint statement to the PA news agency. Cat and the Late Late Show host Patrick said that there is "no other party involved" and that they will now co-parent their children after having split up.

They said in the statement: "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 met while hosting the BBC's Fame Academy in 2002. They are said to have been friends prior to developing a romance and went on to get married in 2012, after going public with their relationship the previous year.

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