Those close to Patrick Kielty have shared their concern following his split with This Morning presenter Cat Deeley, whom the comedian married in Rome in September 2012

Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley have announced their separation after more than a decade of marriage(Image: PA)

Patrick Kielty will be “in a very dark place” if Cat Deeley returns to the US with their children, insiders say.

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The couple announced this week they have separated following a 13-year marriage, a bombshell which has reportedly led to huge concern for both parties. Residents in Dundrum, County Down – Patrick’s hometown – shared their worry for the 54-year-old star, who married Cat in Rome in September 2012.

Some who know Patrick, who has two children with Cat, fear the presenter would be devastated if his ex goes back to the US, where the couple used to live. One insider said: “Everyone is worried about Paddy. The fear is that Cat will go back to America with the little ones. That will leave him in a very dark place.” This comes as it has emerged other showbiz couple Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones split after he joined a notorious dating app on a lads’ holiday.

Cat has been the face of This Morning since March 2024(Image: ITV)

Cat began presenting ITV’s This Morning last year alongside Ben Shephard, following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. However, since she and Patrick confirmed their split, it emerged 48-year-old Cat found the return to the UK difficult.

And so concern has grown Cat, who started her career hosting SMTV Live on Saturday mornings, could quite her ITV job and pack her bags for the US once more. Television insiders told Mail Online: “Cat’s time on This Morning has not been a failure, but it has hardly been a roaring success.

“It is a job which puts her under so much scrutiny, day-in and day-out, and unlike most British presenters she has plenty more lucrative options to choose from in the States… There is concern that all of this family drama could lead her to walk away.”

Cat and Patrick, a comedian and TV host, had lived in Los Angeles for more than 14 years, where Cat presented the reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. They returned and Cat swiftly started on This Morning, which is understood to be one of several ITV daytime shows subject to budget cuts. The broadcaster recently announced plans for a shake-up, which includes cutting Lorraine by 30 minutes and dropping it altogether during school holidays from January. It is believed This Morning is set to move from its base in White City, west London, to a smaller, cheaper studio in the centre of the capital.

And Cat, originally from West Bromwich, West Midlands, has also been open about her struggles to adapt to the 5am starts for the four days a week she presents This Morning, and has revealed that it led her and Patrick to sleep in separate beds most nights.