Cat Deeley
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Catherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley (born October 23, 1976 in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England) is a popular English disc jockey, television personality and former fashion model, who rose to fame at the age of 21, co-hosting the well-known children's series SMTV Live, alongside Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly. Most recently, she replaced Lauren Sanchez as the host of So You Think You Can Dance, and is doing more work in the United States.
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[edit] Early life
The younger sibling of a brother, born in Sutton Coldfield, Deeley attended Grove Vale Infant School in Great Barr followed by Dartmouth High School, where she played clarinet in the Sandwell Youth Concert Band. She then continued her education at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School's Sixth Form College. After achieving nine A grade GCSEs and four A-levels at school, Deeley became a full time fashion model. She occasionally hung out with brother Max, while becoming a tomboy. Prior to this, she entered a regional BBC competition called The Clothes Show, where she made it through the finals that she was spotted by an agent that Deeley signed with the Storm modelling agency, where Kate Moss was also on the roster. She shortened her first name to Cat because there were several other Storm models named Catherine.
[edit] Television career
Deeley left modelling after two years and became an MTV UK presenter in 1997. She typically co-hosted with Edith Bowman, with whom Cat is very good friends. She became famous for presenting in her bare feet, saying she felt more comfortable and at home hosting this way. From 1998 to 2002, she was co-host with Ant & Dec on the Saturday morning children's show SMTV Live and also hosted it's spin off show's CD:UK (From 1998 through to 2005) and CD:UK Hotshots. In 2001, she won a Children's BAFTA award for Best Presenter and appeared in an episode of the BBC's Happiness. In 2002, Deeley appeared in a television commercial for the iconic british high street store Marks and Spencer.
Other programmes she has hosted include The Record of the Year, Fame Academy, The Brit Awards 2004 and Stars in Their Eyes, as well as a weekly show on London's Capital FM and BBC Choice series Roadtripping both with former MTV colleague Edith Bowman. In 2003 she became patron of Great Ormond Street Hospital, in 2005 she played herself in an episode of Little Britain and provided the voice of "Loretta Geargrinder" in the UK version of the film Robots replacing Natasha Lyonne
In 2006, she hosted the American reality show So You Think You Can Dance. She is set to return for the third season, airing in 2007. Deeley interviewed Kylie Minogue for a television special which aired in the United Kingdom on Sky One on 16 July 2006, in Australia on Channel Nine on 17 July 2006 and BBC America on 9 September 2006. [1] [2] [3].
Deeley also had a stint as a guest reporter on NBC's Tonight Show around this time. On December 31st, Deeley presented Fox's New Year's Eve special live from Times Square.
In 2007, Deeley appeared before and after advertisement breaks during coverage of the early stages of American Idol season 6 on the UK television channels ITV1 and ITV2. Because of this she will not return for the Third Comic Relief does Fame Academy special of Fame Academy. She is also an entertainment contributor for ABC News, providing coverage from various awards shows including the Golden Globes and the Grammy and Academy Awards.
For a period, Deeley was the face of Shape Water and number of Garnier Fructis products, appearing in print and television advertising in the UK and Ireland.
She is known to be a good friend of the fashion designer Matthew Williamson and frequently wears his clothes at red carpet events.
[edit] Personal life
As a result of her ambition to break into Hollywood, Deeley's long term relationship with PR Executive Mark Whelan broke down [4] Deeley then moved to Los Angeles in May 2006, as she stated on a late night TV interview with Craig Ferguson. .[5]. Her ex-boyfriends also include Huey Morgan from the Fun Lovin' Criminals.
[edit] Trivia
- Deeley is an avid supporter of the English football club, West Bromwich Albion
- She purchased the last known address of Marilyn Monroe. This was the house in which Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her bedroom in 1962.
- She was paid a reported $2million to host So You Think You Can Dance
- She has become close friends with Ryan Seacrest through co-presenting American Idol.
