Cat Deeley got her start as a model, when she reached the finals of the BBC's The Clothes Show, and was spotted by a modeling agent. She began modeling at age 14, but only pursued the career full time at age 18.
She began her television career in 1997, leaving modeling to host programs for MTV with fellow British personality Edith Bowman. In 1998, she joined the children's series SM:TV Live, performing sketches and introducing segments along with Ant and Dec. She later hosted shows such as CD:UK and Stars in Their Eyes, and also dabbled in radio.
Deeley became a household name in the United States in 2006, when she took over hosting duties on the Fox series So You Think You Can Dance. She hosts the show up to this day; she also hosts the program's British edition, which premiered in 2010. Recently she also played herself in the comedy one-off Britain's Got The Pop Factor, and helped out with CNN's coverage of the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.