'She's determined to come through this STRONGER'

Why Cat Deeley is looking for a 'fresh start' as she turns 49

- ARIANA LONGSON

As she approaches her birthday on 23 October, for Cat Deeley this year probably hasn’t unfolded as she might have expected. In July the This Morning presenter and husband Patrick Kielty announced their separation after 12 years of marriage in a statement that said, ‘We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved.’

Now Cat is preparing to mark her birthday as a single for the first time in over a decade. But while a source tells Woman the occasion is 'bittersweet', the star, who shares sons Milo, nine, and James, seven, with Patrick, is determined not to 'dwell on the past' and is ready to 'embrace this new chapter'.

The lead-up to turning 49, especially coming so soon after the split, has been a 'big moment of reflection' for Cat, says our source. They explain, 'She's always been quite grounded about birthdays, but it's the first since her split from Patrick and naturally that brings up some difficult emotions.'