Cat Deeley's first Christmas since marriage split will still be 'magical for the boys'

In July, This Morning presenter Cat Deeley and Northern Irish star Patrick shocked fans when they announced their separation after just under 13 years of marriage.

In a statement they said, "We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved."

Now, the anticipation of a very different festive season looms for Cat - something that is no doubt stirring up a range of emotions for her and their two sons, Milo, 9, and James, 7.

One source revealed all about how the star is 'determined to make it magical for their boys' and what a Christmas of new and old traditions will look like for the family.

A different Christmas

In past years the family have divided their Christmases between Cat’s home city of Birmingham and Patrick’s native Northern Ireland , with Patrick previously saying, "Christmas is always where the tree is. Sometimes we have it with Cat’s mum and dad and sometimes we have it in Dundrum."

While neither Cat, 49, nor the Late Late Show presenter, 54 , have confirmed how they’ll be spending the 25th this year, it is believed that they won’t be together - giving them a new dynamic to navigate.

The boys remain their priority

"Not being together as a family on a day that revolves so much around family will be a challenge and no doubt take some getting used to," says our source. "It’ll be a time of quiet reflection for them both."

"Christmas has a way of making everyone take stock and for Cat and Patrick, it’ll be impossible not to look back over the past year and wonder if they’ve done the right thing."

While they "still care deeply for one another", the source adds that "the love they share as parents" will take precedence over their feelings.

The boys remain their priority and they will do everything they can to give them a Christmas to remember, albeit a different one.

New and old traditions

To manage that, Cat is "doing her best to keep things positive despite her heartache", says our source.

They reveal, "She will throw herself into decorating early, baking with the boys, and is determined to create new memories while still keeping old traditions alive."

Perhaps tellingly, last year when asked about her festive traditions and what Christmas day looks like in her household, Cat failed to mention Patrick.

She said, "My usual Christmas Day involves my mum’s turkey and stuffing but we usually get up early because my boys are six and eight. So, they’re true believers in the magic of Christmas and obviously very, very excited."

Cat continued, "They’ll get up and open any Christmas presents in a ginormously enthusiastic Christmas whirlwind. Then we’ll usually have scrambled eggs, some smoked salmon and coffee for the grown-ups before building [any toys]. We do all of that and then I usually help Mum with the Christmas dinner."

Hinting at trouble?

She also appeared to make a thinly veiled dig at Patrick - just months before they announced their separation - when discussing Christmas presents on This Morning.

"I got a slow cooker for Christmas. I opened it up and said 'Yay'..." she told co-star Dermot O’Leary.

Cat said that she had other ideas in mind of what Patrick could have bought her, adding, "A piece of jewellery or something. You can’t really go wrong with jewellery. I love it [the slow cooker] now but it wasn’t really what I wanted at the time."

Starting over

But Cat is keen to put the past behind her, particularly as we approach the festive season.

"It’s been a huge year of change, but Cat’s determined to make this Christmas about love, laughter and togetherness, even if it looks a little different this time around," our source says.

A fresh start

As for the future, they add, "She’s looking forward to 2026 and everything that it has in store for her, both professionally and personally.

Cat is embracing the idea of a fresh start and can’t wait to wave goodbye to what has been a challenging year."