Cat Deeley, 49, took to Instagram to share a playful and heartfelt birthday tribute to her best friend, Charlie Brear, marking the occasion with a black-and-white photo of the pair sharing a kiss on the lips. In the post, the This Morning presenter captioned the sweet moment: “Happy Birthday. Forever and day. Ride or die.”
The touching tribute celebrated their long-standing friendship, with Charlie, a wedding dress designer, also sharing the same Ibiza beach snapshot in 2021 to her 60,900 Instagram followers. The duo’s bond is clearly unshakable, as evidenced by Cat’s affectionate words and their shared history of memorable moments together.
Recently, Cat made her return to This Morning after an unexplained absence, leaving fans wondering about the reason behind her time off. Angela Scanlon and Alison Hammond stepped in to fill her shoes during her absence. Cat later shared a glimpse into her time away, posting an Instagram video of herself dancing cheekily in a towel during a “get ready with me” session while staying in a snow-filled location. She teased a new work project in the same post, hinting at an exciting upcoming venture: “Set Prep, before heading down to Hair and Makeup! Not Stateside but pretty close. There’s plenty of snow… what’s your guess?”
balancing work and parenting her two sons, Milo, nine, and James, seven, Cat seems to be embracing life with a positive outlook. She recently shared a highlights reel of her 2025, reflecting on a year that had been “a lot of fun,” despite the challenges following her separation from her husband, Patrick Kielty.
Cat and Patrick, both television personalities, announced their divorce in July 2025 after 13 years of marriage. Their decision to end their relationship was made jointly, with a focus on remaining unified as parents. Speculation surrounding their split had been sparked earlier when Cat was absent from Patrick’s mother’s funeral in Ireland in March 2025, which led to growing rumors. However, Cat has continued to move forward with the support of her family and close friends.
The pair, who first met in 2002 while co-hosting BBC’s Fame Academy, eventually became romantically involved a decade later. Their relationship blossomed after Patrick flew from Belfast to Los Angeles to surprise Cat during her US show So You Think You Can Dance. They married in a private ceremony in Rome in September 2012, before relocating to California for ten years. The couple later moved back to the UK, where Cat felt drawn to be closer to her family.
In the wake of her divorce, Cat has remained strong and focused on her children and career, with her friends, like Charlie, providing the support she needs. The birthday tribute to her “ride or die” pal serves as a testament to the enduring power of friendship as Cat navigates this new chapter of her life with resilience and grace.
