Vivacious beauty Cat Deeley is following in the footsteps of her chums Ant and Dec and has decided to leave the show that made her famous, SM:tv. The 25-year-old is being lined up for a holiday programme on the BBC as well as a major drama role on the Beeb’s rival, ITV1, and will host her last Saturday morning show at the end of March. She will, however, continue to host pop show cd:uk
“I have been offered exciting projects,” said the Sutton Coldfield-born former model last night, “and I was torn between these and leaving the show I love. By continuing with cd:uk, I can still be a part of the great team and concentrate on new projects.”
It is thought that Cat’s heavy schedule – she spends up to three days rehearsing sketches for the kids’ show each week – was one of the reasons for her departure. But her popularity mirrors that of her two Geordie co-stars, who now front the hit show Pop Idol. When Ant and Dec left SM:tv on December 1 last year, two and a half million viewers watched their departure.
The show is now fronted by Cat, former Hollyoaks hunk James Redmond and last year’s Big Brother winner Brian Dowling.