NEWS
As Cat Deeley begins her This Morning gig, it’s her predecessor Holly who has been helping her cope with the pressure
She made her debut on This Morning this week – joining her new co-host, Ben Shepherd, as the new permanent replacements following Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s shock departures last year.
Fresh-faced and glowing after a sun-soaked break in Mexico, Cat Deeley, 47 –who shares sons Milos, eight, and five-year-old James with husband, Patrick Kielty, 53 –radiated as she took the reins following months of drama and scandal for ITV’s flagship daytime show
But while the mum-of-two appeared to be calm and collected on screen, pals say behind the scenes, the star was riddled with anxiety in the lead-up to her start date and got a serious case of cold feet as the reality of her new role set in.
Asource says, “Cat’s of course thrilled with her job, but it’s also a huge upheaval to her life, and the mounting pressure in the weeks before really got to her.
“The official announcement made it all very real, it made Cat spiral into a wave of panic as the magnitude of living up to fill Holly’s shoes, her hectic new schedule, juggling family life and being thrust back into the spotlight again with all the pressure and potential criticism that comes with that, suddenly set in.
“She felt so overwhelmed by it all that at one point, she starting doubting her decision and hinted that she should pull out –panicking that she’d made a huge mistake.”
STRESS
After spending 15 years living in LA, the former SM:TV host moved back to the UK at the start of the pandemic –continuing to jet back and forth to California to continue hosting US talent show, So You Think You Can Dance.
During her time in sunny California, Cat lived a glamorous lifestyle among Hollywood’s elite –enjoying Stateside success as a hit presenter, living in a sprawling Beverly Hills mansion amidst some of Tinseltown’s biggest stars, and mingling with A-listers at a raft of swanky showbiz parties.
Since returning to the UK, Cat and Patrick have been renovating their £5 million home in Hampstead, north London – frequented by a host of celebs including Harry Styles, James Corden and Ricky Gervais.
In addition to the stress of their refurbishment, Patrick has been jetting back and forth to Ireland since landing his new job as presenter of The Late Late Show in September.
And with Cat’s new demanding This Morning schedule – with early starts and late finishes Monday to Thursday – insiders say the reality of juggling family life, making time for her marriage and missing
