Cat Deeley has described the moment she realised the threat of school shootings in the United States was real, after touring schools equipped with safe rooms.
The This Morning presenter, 49, who moved back to the UK in 2020 after her family was caught in a mall gun scare, said she doubts American gun control laws will change.
"I don't think America will change its gun control laws. When we were looking around schools, we were shown the safe room children go to when there is a live shooter," she explained.
"It made me realise how [school shootings] are real. They are a problem."
Deeley also cited the British education system and diversity as reasons for returning to the UK. She told The Times: "I moved back to the UK because I wanted the boys to be educated here. London is a melting pot."
"I like that there is very little segregation and I think it's important that [my sons] see different types of people from different backgrounds," she added.
Century City Mall scare
The move followed a terrifying incident involving her then husband, Patrick Kielty, and their eldest son, Milo. The pair were at the Century City Mall in Los Angeles when a shooter was reported on the loose.
In a previous interview with YOU Mag, the former SM:TV host said her anxiety about school shootings became reality when her family had to escape the shopping centre.
"That danger became even more real last summer when Milo and his father went to the Century City Mall in LA after morning nursery," she said. "The FBI turned up with guns and ordered everyone to take cover under counters or hide because a shooter was on the loose."
Kielty and Milo, now 10, were forced to shelter in a Shake Shack kitchen while Kielty tried to keep his son calm so he would not understand the danger.
Deeley recalled receiving a phone call from Kielty asking her to collect them after they were evacuated. "They shut down the centre. I got a call from Paddy, saying, 'They're taking us out through the fire exits but nobody can get to their car. If we walk to a junction, can you come and get us?'" she said.
"It was terrifying. Paddy was shaken by it, more than Milo, who was hot and cranky but didn't properly understand."
Split from Patrick Kielty
Deeley now lives in London and co-parents Milo and her younger son James, eight, with Kielty. The couple announced their split in July 2025 after a 13-year marriage.
The pair, who met hosting the BBC talent show Fame Academy in 2002, released a joint statement at the time confirming they would remain united as parents.
The Daily Mail previously reported that Kielty's family were deeply upset when Deeley did not attend his mother's funeral in March 2025, which they said confirmed there was little chance of reconciliation.
A spokesperson for Deeley told the Daily Mail at the time: "Cat remained at home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day."
