Inside the €5.7 Million ‘Fixer-Upper’ at the Heart of Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty’s Split
LONDON — Just days after Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announced the end of their 13-year marriage, attention has turned to the lavish — and reportedly stressful — home renovation project the couple had embarked upon in North London. Their ambitious plan to transform a £5 million (€5.7 million) property into a sleek, Beverly Hills-style residence now stands as a striking symbol of a relationship under strain.
The five-bedroom Hampstead mansion, described as a “fixer-upper,” had been a bold undertaking. Acquired as an empty shell, the house was to be completely reimagined as a mid-century modern retreat. Planning documents from Barnet Council show that in 2022, the couple received approval to “renovate, extend and upgrade” the home — a sweeping transformation intended to bring a piece of Los Angeles luxury to leafy North London.
Photographs and architectural drawings reveal the scope of the project: floor-to-ceiling glass, clean lines, open-plan interiors, and landscaped gardens. A home gym, cinema room, and expansive kitchen-dining area were also part of the design — all aimed at creating a space fit for a celebrity couple with international careers and two young children.
But as the dust settled — quite literally — the renovation project, according to sources close to the pair, became more than just a logistical challenge. It also became a source of mounting pressure.
“The house has been a huge stress point,” one insider told British media this week. “They’ve both been juggling demanding schedules, and the added burden of a massive, high-stakes renovation has not made things easier.”
Deeley, who often shared glimpses of the property’s transformation on social media, did little to hide her anxiety about the project. In one Instagram post, she admitted: “I’m not going to lie, I got a bit of a shock today. Not much house, lots of air.” The accompanying photo showed a hollowed-out structure, stripped down to its foundations — a stark visual of the project’s magnitude.
Fans now view these updates in a new light, with speculation that the building works may have mirrored, or even magnified, the growing emotional distance between the TV personalities.
The couple’s representatives had originally expressed excitement about creating a new family sanctuary. The submitted documents referred to the home as a “dream renovation” and an “ambitious update to a dated 1950s property.” With planning secured, construction was well underway when, behind the scenes, the relationship began to unravel.
Deeley and Kielty, who married in 2012 and share two sons, had long been seen as one of the more grounded celebrity couples. She had achieved fame through hosting roles in the UK and the U.S., while Kielty, now host of Ireland’s Late Late Show, balanced his television career with stand-up comedy and political commentary.
While the couple has not issued detailed public statements about the reasons behind their separation, sources suggest that extended time apart — due to Kielty’s new work commitments in Ireland — combined with the renovation stress, may have contributed to the split.
For now, the future of the Hampstead home remains unclear. It is not known whether the renovation will be completed as originally planned, or if the property will be sold as part of a settlement.
But the once-promising “fixer-upper” now stands as a poignant backdrop to a relationship that, despite years of shared history and a growing family, couldn’t withstand the weight of so much change — both within its walls and beyond them.