Cat Deeley
 |
Cat Deeley | |
|---|---|
| Born | Catherine Elizabeth Deeley |
| Occupation(s) | Model, presenter, host |
| Years active | 1990s – present |
Catherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English disc jockey, television presenter 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, for also hosting Stars in their Eyes since 2004, and for hosting So You Think You Can Dance since its second series in 2006.
Early life
The elder of two children, born in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, Great Britain, United Kingdom, Deeley attended Grove Vale Infant School in Great Barr, Birmingham, followed by Dartmouth High School, where she played the clarinet in the Sandwell Youth Concert Band. She continued her education at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School's Sixth Form. After achieving nine A grade GCSEs and four A-levels at school, Deeley became a full time fashion model. Prior to this, she entered a regional BBC competition called The Clothes Show, where she made it through to the finals. She was spotted by an agent, and 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.
Television career
Her first television appearance was in 1994 as a model on the daytime programme Kilroy.
Deeley left modelling after two years and became an MTV UK presenter in 1997. She usually co-hosted with Edith Bowman, with whom Deeley is friends.
From 1998 - 2002, she was co-host with Ant & Dec on the Saturday morning children's programme SMTV Live and also hosted its spin-off programmes CD:UK (From 1998 -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 advert for the British high street store Marks and Spencer.
Other programmes she hosted include The Record of the Year, Fame Academy, The 2004 BRIT Awards and Stars in Their Eyes, as well as a weekly broadcast 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, and 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
Since 2006, she began hosting the second series of American reality show So You Think You Can Dance, replacing Lauren Sanchez, who was pregnant at the time. Deeley interviewed Kylie Minogue for a television special which was broadcast 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. She has presented Fox's New Year's Eve special live from Times Square in 2006 and 2007.[4]
She is also an entertainment contributor for ABC News, providing coverage from various awards ceremonies including the Golden Globes and the Grammy and Academy Awards.
In 2007, she presented the UK coverage of the sixth series of American Idol for ITV2. She filmed segments and interviews with celebrity guests and eliminated contestants for UK audiences that were shown just before and after advertising breaks. However, this was not popular with viewers who saw Deeley's role as 'unnecessary'. She will not return for the seventh series American Idol in 2008.
For a period, Deeley was the face of Shape Water and a number of Garnier Fructis products, appearing in print and television advertising in the UK and Ireland.
She is known to be a friend of the fashion designer Matthew Williamson and frequently wears his clothes during red carpet events.
On 1 July, 2007, Deeley was one of many celebrity speakers appearing at the Concert For Diana. The event, watched by an estimated 500 million people worldwide, was held at the new Wembley Stadium.
In January 2008, a new series of So You Think You Can Dance started its auditions, with Deeley again hosting.
She is to return to the UK to host a new dating programme called The Big Match and to host the UK version of So You Think You Can Dance.
Deeley is noted and often presents in her bare feet. She states this makes her feel more comfortable, [5]. She never presented MTV with her shoes on,[6] she once took her shoes off while presenting SMTV [7] and once made a ITV ident where she took her shoes off and ran away from the camera [8]. She recently slipped her shoes off on an episode of So You Think You Can Dance [9].
Personal life
As a result of her ambition to break into Hollywood, Deeley's long term relationship with PR Executive Mark Whelan broke down.[10] Deeley then moved to Los Angeles in May 2006, as she stated on a late night TV interview with Craig Ferguson.[11]
Deeley currently maintains homes in Beverly Hills and London [12]
References
- ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Sky to show first Kylie interview
- ^ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19533629-1702,00.html
- ^ BBC America - Home Page
- ^ Cat Deeley Does New Year's, More Short Cuts - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com
- ^ Cat Deeley retrieved from TV.com
- ^ Clip of Deeley Retrieved from YouTube
- ^ Picture evidence Retrieved from Imagevenue.com
- ^ Picture evidence Retrieved from Imagevenue.com
- ^ "Let Me Just Kick Off My Heels Then I'm No Longer Seven Feet Tall" Retrieved from YouTube
- ^ Showbiz - News - Cat Deeley has Hollywood ambitions - Digital Spy
- ^ Showbiz - News - Cat Deeley loving new life in the States - Digital Spy
- ^ http://www.fox.com/dance/bios.htm#Cat
External links
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