HEARTBREAKING: Cat Deeley breaks silence on ex-husband Patrick Kielty’s new romance
Cat Deeley is reportedly “genuinely happy” for her ex-husband Patrick Kielty after the television presenter was spotted enjoying a date with businesswoman Michelle McManus.
Patrick’s outing comes more than a year after he and Cat announced the end of their 13-year marriage in 2025.
Friends of the This Morning presenter have claimed Cat, 49, has reacted positively to reports that Patrick may be moving on.
According to The Sun, Cat is said to have told friends that Michelle “seems nice” and joked that she may even be doing her a favour because Patrick is “a better person when he’s happy”.
A source added that Cat’s attitude towards the situation is essentially: “Good luck to them.”
They claimed she believes that moving forward separately is exactly the point of ending a relationship and that she is pleased Patrick appears happy and positive.
“Cat herself is in a great place and that’s where she wants to stay,” the insider said.
These comments are attributed to unnamed friends and have not been publicly confirmed by Cat herself.
Patrick Spotted on Three-Hour Dinner Date
Patrick, who shares sons Milo, 10, and James, eight, with Cat, was reportedly seen enjoying a three-hour dinner with Michelle, 47, at a North London pub.
People at the venue reportedly described the pair as looking “very in-sync”.
According to the report, Patrick and Michelle are believed to have met during the summer after being introduced by a mutual friend.
An insider said the relationship remains in its early stages but claimed the pair are getting along well.
“It’s still early days, but they get on really well,” the source said.
They added that both were single when they met.
Michelle reportedly separated from her husband four years ago, while Patrick has been single since his marriage to Cat ended.
Who Is Michelle McManus?
Michelle is described as a successful businesswoman who co-founded fashion merchandising company Rolling People with her former husband in 2011.
The company represents a number of fashion brands, including Veja and Bash.
Her reported date with Patrick has attracted attention because it is one of the first signs that the presenter may be moving on publicly following his split from Cat.
However, neither Patrick nor Michelle is quoted in the source confirming that they are in a relationship.
Cat and Patrick Announced Split in 2025
Cat and Patrick confirmed their separation last year in a joint statement.
At the time, they made clear that no third party had been involved in the breakdown of their marriage.
“We will continue to be united as loving parents to our children and would therefore kindly ask for our family privacy to be respected,” they said.
“There will be no further comment.”
The pair had been married since 2012.
They first met a decade earlier while co-hosting the BBC talent show Fame Academy in 2002, although their relationship did not become romantic until years later.
They went public as a couple in May 2012 and married in an intimate ceremony in Rome that September.
Cat Opens Up About Co-Parenting
Earlier this year, Cat spoke publicly about how she and Patrick manage parenting responsibilities following their separation.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, she said the pair share responsibility for their sons equally.
“It’s about being as organised as you can possibly be,” she said.
Cat added that she has support from an “amazing nanny” and said: “Everybody’s doing their best.”
Her comments suggested that the former couple’s focus remains firmly on maintaining stability for their children despite the end of their marriage.
Moving Forward Separately
The latest reports indicate that both Cat and Patrick are attempting to move forward with their lives while continuing to co-parent their sons.
If reports about Patrick and Michelle are accurate, Cat’s friends insist she has no issue with her former husband dating again.
Rather than viewing the situation negatively, the sources claim she sees his happiness as beneficial for everyone involved.
For now, neither Patrick nor Michelle has publicly confirmed the nature of their relationship, while Cat has not directly commented on their reported date.
But according to those said to be close to her, she is focused on staying in a positive place herself and wishes her former husband well as they continue their lives separately.
