Patrick Kielty admitted he felt like ‘junior shareholder’ in marriage to Cat Deeley
In a candid confession two years before the couple broke up, comic Patrick Kielty admitted he felt like a “junior shareholder” in his marriage to Cat Deeley.
Patrick Kielty admitted he felt like a “junior shareholder” in his marriage to Cat Deeley.
The comic, 54, and the TV presenter, 48, released a joint statement earlier in the week confirming the end of their relationship after 10 years together.
Patrick’s thoughts on their relationship have now resurfaced, with the stand-up confessing during an episode of The Mid-Point podcast from July 2023 he had less influence in decision making in their marriage than he thought.
The Northern Irishman said: “For a long time I genuinely thought I was in a 50/50 partnership. Then you realise you’re actually a junior shareholder in a 50/50 partnership.
“You go, ‘I thought we were 50/50 — why do you seem to have more shares?’ I think with big decisions you kind of have to float stuff and see how that’s going to go.”
Patrick and Cat share two sons – Milo, seven, and James, five – and had relocated from Los Angeles to London before the end of their marriage.
Reflecting on the decision to return to the UK, Patrick said: “What was weird about it was it was Cat who more wanted to do that. It was more so her decision. I think being a new mum and not having the family around and not having the network of cousins and brothers.”
He continued: “I think, for me, London is not home. It will never really be home for me. In my head, I still live in a little village in County Down, even though I haven’t lived there full time for 30 years. These are the tricks you play on yourself.”
Patrick explained that the move was less impactful for him because he already had to travel to see his family.
He said: “Living in London, my family was always a flight away anyway, so that idea of being a longer flight away from LA wasn’t as much of a problem for me as someone who had to get a flight to go to see them anyway.”
He also spoke about Cat’s career in the United States and how the decision to return was ultimately hers.
Patrick said: “I also think because Cat was the one with a successful career out there, she was the one who chose to leave that at the right time, and that’s a decision that she made and only she can make.”
Asked if the couple were at their happiest, Patrick said marriage required constant effort.
He added: “Things were good but marriage was always something to be worked at.
“The idea of how you work together whenever the rough and the smooth and all those things – that’s the most important part.”
It read: “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.”
His and Cat’s break-up statement said: “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.”
