Cat Deeley reportedly ‘happy’ for ex-husband Patrick Kielty as he starts a new romance

More than a year after Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announced the end of their marriage, the former couple appear to be settling into separate chapters of their lives.

Patrick, 55, has recently been seen on a three-hour dinner date with businesswoman Michelle McManus, 47, at a pub in North London. The outing has prompted fresh interest in his personal life, while friends of Cat, 49, have said the This Morning presenter is pleased to see her former husband happy.

According to comments reported by The Sun, Cat has taken a positive view of Patrick’s reported relationship with Michelle.

A friend claimed Cat believes Michelle seems nice and that Patrick is a better person when he is happy. The source also said Cat’s attitude was essentially to wish the pair well, adding that she is “genuinely happy” for Patrick and believes his happiness is good for him.

The comments come after Cat and Patrick publicly confirmed their separation in July 2025, ending a marriage that had lasted almost 13 years.

Patrick Kielty spotted with Michelle McManus

Patrick was reportedly seen spending more than three hours with Michelle at a North London pub last week.

According to an eyewitness account reported by The Sun, the pair spent the evening talking and laughing and appeared comfortable in each other’s company. The pub-goer described them as being “very in-sync”, while Patrick was said to be smiling and chatting with staff.

The pair are believed to have met over the summer after being introduced by a mutual friend.

A source told The Sun that the relationship is still at an early stage but that Patrick and Michelle “get on really well”. The same source said both were single when they met, with Michelle having been separated from her husband for four years and Patrick having been single since his split from Cat.

There has been no suggestion in the reports that Michelle was involved in the breakdown of Patrick and Cat’s marriage. In their joint statement announcing their separation, the former couple specifically said there was “no other party involved.”

Who is Michelle McManus?

Michelle is a businesswoman and co-founder of fashion merchandising company Rolling People.

She established the company with her former husband in 2011. Rolling People represents fashion brands including Veja and Bash.

Her reported relationship with Patrick comes after both had already separated from their respective spouses. For now, the reports describe their connection as being in its early stages rather than presenting it as a confirmed long-term relationship.

Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty’s separation

Cat and Patrick announced their separation on July 29, 2025, following 13 years of marriage.

In a joint statement, they said they had decided to end their marriage and confirmed that they were separated. They also made clear that no third party had been involved.

The pair asked for privacy for their family and stressed that they would remain united as loving parents to their children.

Their two sons, Milo, 10, and James, eight, remain at the centre of their family arrangements. Recent comments from Cat have indicated that she and Patrick share parenting responsibilities equally.

The couple’s relationship had begun long before their marriage. Cat and Patrick first met while working together on the BBC talent show Fame Academy in 2002, although they did not start a romantic relationship until around a decade later.

They went public with their relationship in May 2012 and married in an intimate ceremony in Rome in September that year.

Cat has spoken about co-parenting their two sons

While the end of their marriage brought considerable public attention, Cat has indicated that the pair remain focused on making their parenting arrangement work.

Speaking to The Sunday Times earlier this month, she said she and Patrick co-parent their sons on a 50-50 basis.

Cat explained that organisation is particularly important as she balances family life with her work on This Morning. She also acknowledged the support of her nanny.

“It’s about being as organised as you can possibly be. I have an amazing nanny too. Everybody’s doing their best,” she said.

The comments echoed the commitment Cat and Patrick made when they first announced their separation in 2025. At the time, they said they would continue to work together as parents and asked that their family’s privacy be respected.

Both are moving forward separately

Patrick has continued his television career since the split and remains the presenter of RTÉ’s The Late Late Show, while Cat continues to host ITV’s This Morning.

Patrick has also spoken publicly about the difficulties of the past year. In a recent interview, he reflected on the end of his marriage alongside other major personal experiences, describing them as part of the “tapestry of life” and noting that he and his children were healthy.

Against that backdrop, reports of Patrick’s dinner with Michelle have brought renewed attention to the former couple’s lives after marriage.

For Cat, however, people close to her say there is no apparent hostility toward Patrick’s reported new relationship. Instead, the message attributed to her friends is that she wants him to be happy and is concentrating on her own life and on continuing to co-parent their two sons.

After more than a decade together, Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty are now building separate lives while maintaining the family connection they share through Milo and James.