Cat Deeley has revealed the scary moment she realized school shootings in America are ‘real’.
The This Morning presenter, 49, moved back to Britain in 2020 with her then husband Patrick Kielty and their sons Milo, 10, and James, eight, after a ‘terrifying’ gun incident.
Patrick and her son Milo narrowly avoided a public shooting incident at the Century City Mall when the FBI showed up with guns and ordered everyone to take cover because a gunman was on the loose.
And since returning to Britain, Cat has opened up about her fear of gun violence, recalling the moment she realized it was a serious problem.
Reflecting on American laws, she explained, “I don’t think America will change its gun control laws. When we looked around schools, we were shown the safe room where kids go when there is a live shooter.
‘It made me realize how [school shootings] are real. They are a problem.’
Cat Deeley has revealed the scary moment she realized school shootings in America ‘are real’ as she takes on gun control after her family left the US due to a ‘terrifying’ incident
She revealed that she also wanted her children to be educated in Britain The times: ‘I went back to Britain because I wanted the boys here to get an education. London is a melting pot. I like that there is very little segregation and I think that is important [my sons] see different types of people from different backgrounds.”
Cat and Patrick announced their separation in July 2025, but prior to their split, she said they had become disillusioned with life in LA after a terrifying gun incident.
In a previous interview with YOU Mag, the former SM:TV host discussed her fears surrounding a possible school shooting when her children would start in the future.
Her fears became reality when her family had to escape the mall shooting, as she explained: “That danger became even more real last summer when Milo and his father went to the Century City Mall in LA after morning care.
“The FBI showed up with guns and ordered everyone to take cover under counters or hide because there was a gunman on the loose.”
Patrick and Milo were forced to take cover in a Shake Shack kitchen when they first discovered that a gunman had entered the building.
Cat said her husband tried to keep their son calm so he didn’t understand the danger and magnitude of the situation.
She added: “They closed the centre. I got a call from Paddy and said, “They’re taking us out through the emergency exits, but no one can get to their car. If we walk to a junction, can you come and get us?”
The This Morning presenter, 49, moved back to Britain in 2020 with her then husband Patrick Kielty and their sons Milo, 10, and James, eight, after a ‘terrifying’ gun incident
‘It was terrifying. Paddy was shocked by it, more so than Milo, who was excited and grumpy but didn’t really understand it.’
Cat now lives in London with her sons and is co-parenting with Patrick, following their divorce.
The couple announced their plans to divorce in a joint statement in which they confirmed that they had decided to end their 13-year marriage and would remain united as parents.
The Daily Mail previously revealed how Patrick’s family seethed over Cat’s failure to attend his beloved mother’s funeral months before the divorce – and that’s when they knew their marriage was over for good.
Her no show in March 2025 left deep emotional scars for the Kielty family, who say it confirmed to them that there was little chance of a reconciliation between the two.
A spokesperson for Cat told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘Cat stayed home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day.’
Cat and Patrick first met in 2002 when they hosted BBC talent show Fame Academy, but they didn’t become an item until a decade later.
