Cat Deeley missed her mother-in-law’s funeral to support her two young children who are suffering the loss of their grandmother, MailOnline can reveal.

The This Morning host, 48, was notably absent as husband Patrick Kielty’s late mother Mary was laid to rest on Monday in County Down.

Patrick, 54, looked bereft as he carried Mary’s coffin through his home village, where he was joined by close family and friends at the Church of the Sacred Heart.

Cat, who has been married to Patrick for 12 years, stayed in London, presenting Monday’s This Morning with co-host Ben Shephard, 50.

Despite the This Morning roster including the likes of Alison Hammond, Josie Gibson, and Rochelle Humes being on hand to stand-in for Cat, she is also set to host Tuesday morning’s show.

A spokesperson for Cat has told MailOnline the real reason she wasn’t at today’s religious burial held in honour of Patrick’s late mother was to be present for her two sons, Milo, eight, and James, five, before and after they finished school.

+12
View gallery

Cat Deeley missed her mother-in-law’s funeral to support her two children who are suffering the loss of their grandmother, MailOnline can reveal (pictured on Monday’s This Moring)

+12
View gallery

Patrick, 54, looked bereft as he carried Mary’s coffin through his home village, where he was joined by close family and friends at the Church of the Sacred Heart

+12
View gallery

The mother of the Irish presenter, who was aged in her 80s, passed away at her home in the village of Dundrum on Saturday (Patrick and Mary seen in 2012)

They said: ‘Cat remained at home to be there for her two young children before and after school on this very sad day.’

Patrick’s mother, who was in her 80s, passed away at her home in the village of Dundrum on Saturday.

A death notice said Mary ‘will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her entire family circle, neighbours and friends.’

Patrick wore a dark grey suit with a white tie as he laid his mother to rest alongside his brothers John and Cahal, who were consoled by dozens of mourners.

The TV star has spoken fondly of his mother over the years, telling The Irish Sun in 2023 that she was ‘secretly delighted’ when he was chosen as host of the Late Late Show.

‘Mary Kielty is secretly delighted but not making any real public statements,’ he said.

‘I mean talking to people at mass, which is kind of a public statement in Dundrum.

‘”Well now, what about that son of yours, I’m sure you’re very proud,” to which Mary Kielty would say “Well now, I’ve got three sons, so which one are you talking about?”‘

+12
View gallery

Patrick appeared heartbroken as he was seen carrying Mary’s coffin to the Church of the Sacred Heart in his Northern Irish hometown for her funeral

+12
View gallery

A death notice said Mary ‘will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her entire family circle, neighbours and friends’

+12
View gallery

Patrick wore a dark grey suit with a white tie as he laid his mother to rest with his brothers John and Cahal, joined by dozens of mourners

+12
View gallery

His wife Cat Deeley did not appear to be in attendance after presenting This Morning earlier that day

+12
View gallery

Despite the This Morning roster including the likes of Alison Hammond, Josie Gibson , and Rochelle Humes being on hand to stand-in, Cat is also set to host Tuesday morning’s show

Patrick’s life was rocked by tragedy after his father was killed by protestant paramilitaries who claimed he was an IRA chief during the Troubles when he was just 16 years old.

He relived the murder as part of a TV documentary in 2023, in which he said of his mother: ‘My dad was a brave man but it was my mum who wanted to protect us.

‘She’s the one who raised the family and kept us together. She was 46 when he died and she never remarried.’

The comedian revealed the moment he was called into the headmaster’s office of his school to be told of his father Jack’s death at the hands of Loyalist shooters.

As part of a BBC programme documenting the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Patrick spoke about the effect the murder has had on his life.

The Loyalist assassins had fired on his father’s firm in Dundrum, County Down, at the height of the Troubles.

It was a case of mistaken identity, with the killers believing Jack to be an officer in the IRA, a link that was immediately dismissed by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and family members.

Reliving the moment he was told of the death, Patrick said: ‘It was the very first Red Nose Day and I’d put the posters up all around the school.

‘When I was called to the headmaster’s office, I thought I was going to get told off because I’d plastered the entire school with them. Then I got to his office and one of my dad’s business colleagues was there. That’s when I knew something was terribly wrong.

+12
View gallery

Patrick has often spoken fondly of his mother over the years, and told The Irish Sun in 2023 that she was ‘secretly delighted’ when he was chosen as host of the Late Late Show

+12
View gallery

Patrick’s life was rocked by tragedy after his father was killed by protestant paramilitaries who claimed he was an IRA chief during the Troubles when he was just 16 years old

+12
View gallery

Patrick was just six days away from turning 17 when he buried his father and served as a pallbearer at the funeral

‘I remember thinking, “I need to get home. How’s my mum? Where’s everybody else?” At the time you don’t realise you’re going through shock.’

Patrick was just six days away from turning 17 when he buried his father and served as a pallbearer at the funeral.

‘Growing up in Northern Ireland you had less of those chats because a lot of people knew what you were going through,’ he said. ‘There was never anger.

‘It was a case of looking after mum and the family pulling together. The minute you’re angry then someone else has won.’