Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty has revealed the grand gesture that won his wife Cat Deeley over at the beginning of their love story.
The self-proclaimed “born romantic” opened up about “following his heart” all the way to Los Angeles and surprising Cat for lunch.
The presenter made this sweet revelation on Instagram to inspire the show’s followers to write in with their most romantic gestures, ahead of his first Late Late Show Valentine’s special.
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The lovey-dovey episode which will be filmed live tonight is typically the most complained about Late Late Show of the year.
Speaking about the most romantic thing he has ever done, Patrick said: “I am an absolute born romantic…If I’d a quid for every rom-com I’ve cried at.”
“I followed my heart all the way to Los Angeles to surprise my now wife for lunch. Twelve years and two kids later, I think it worked out.”
Picture: Brian McEvoy
In 2020, Cat gushed about the sweet story of how the pair got together.
During an interview with the former host Late Late Show host, Ryan Tubridy, she said: “We had been friends for a very, very long time,”
“Since we did [TV show] Fame Academy and all that. We would always call each other on birthdays or Christmas, or we’d see each other occasionally or whatever it was.”
“Anyway, there was a night where it was the day before my birthday. I can’t even remember what birthday it was now! It was 30-something. Anyway, he called me and he spoke to me on the phone.”
She continued: “He said, ‘Oh, what are you doing for your birthday? I’m just ringing to say happy birthday.'”
“I said, ‘Oh, we’re going to the Beverly Hills Hotel. We’re just going to have a late brunch; it’s going to be very civilised. It’s a shame you’re not here, otherwise you could come’. And he was like, ‘Well, eh – I’ll be there’.”
Featuring: Cat Deeley, Patrick Kielty
Cat added: “Now, bear in mind at this point, Ryan, he was at the Maghera Inn down the end of the road, and in Ireland, I think it was approximately three o’clock in the morning, so I wasn’t too sure!”
“I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, sure you will. Sure you will, Charlie Big Bananas, sure you’ll be there! I’ll hold you a seat, how about that?”
“Anyway, I didn’t know this, but he basically stumbled home from the pub, set an alarm clock, booked a flight to go back to Heathrow – I think the first flight out.”
The mother-of-two said: “He set his alarm for five, first flight out was seven to land into Heathrow at eight to get on the 9:30 flight to fly to LA.”
“He flew to LA with his hand luggage, jumped in a cab, told the story to the cabbie. The cabbie was like, ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to wait? I can wait for you. I can wait. That’ll be ok’. He’s like, ‘No, no! It’s good, it’s good!'”
“[He] Walked into the Beverly Hills Hotel, dropped his bag at concierge and walked in. At which point I fell off my seat. And he then proceeded to be utterly charming to everybody around the table. Everybody slightly fell in love with him. As did I. And he didn’t go home for 10 days.”
The couple got married in Rome in September 2012 and welcomed son Milo in 2016, and son James Patrick in 2018.
