Cat Deeley
- Cat Deeley
-
- Birth date: October 23, 1976
- Birth place: Sutton Coldfield, England
- Marital status: Single
Biography
Catherine Elizabeth "Cat" Deeley 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More info
-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 has also been the face of Shape Water and a number of Garnier Fructis products, appearing in print and television advertising in the UK and Ireland.
-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.
Occupation
-Television Host and Presenter
-Former Fashion Model
