‘Rest easy little prince’

Dermot O’Leary previously opened up about his heartbreak following the sad death of a dear family member.

TV legend Dermot has been a staple on screens for several years. From stints on X Factor to This Morning, Dermot – who is on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show today (September 6) – has remained booked and busy.

Away from the TV sets and shows though, Dermot is loved-up with wife Dee. The pair are parents to a son, Kasper, who was born in June 2020.

However, a few years back, Dermot and his family went through the “most traumatic” time after their cat died.

Dermot’s beloved cat died a few years back (Credit: ITV)

Dermot O’Leary’s heartbreak after death of cat

In July 2017, Dermot announced the sad news that his beloved cat Silver had died. At the time, he took to his Instagram and shared a heartwarming tribute to Silver.

“Had to finally say goodbye to our little Italian boy Silver today. He bravely fought on for 7 months against a horrible heart condition (originally given days to live back in December.) One tough little Puglia paisano cat!” Dermot shared with his fans.

He added: “No words can begin to describe what a massive heart-shaped hole he leaves in our lives. He made our house a home, made us better people, and won the hearts of all that met him.”

Dermot continued: “He gave and received unconditional love, and was genuinely the most dog like cat we’ve ever met.

“As heartbroken as we are, we are so grateful for the stray kitten which came into our lives. From the moment he came into the world in an olive grove in Puglia, (Dee actually helped deliver him, in a deft piece of cat midwifery) to his last breath holding onto his mama – he was a wonderful friend, companion & cuddle giver, and you couldn’t have wished for a more human like cat. Smart, funny, intuitive, with a model looks and a killer blue steel.”

‘Love you forever little man’

Dermot continued: “Born, raised and went to sleep in his mama’s arms. You couldn’t have wished for a more dignified and serene passing.

“Rest easy little prince, we miss you terribly. Snooze and play on the laps of those who we followed, and know we’ll be rubbing that brilliant white belly, and massaging those beautiful pink paws, further on up the road.

“Special thanks to Fran, @franowen9271Kate, @katehsheard Chantelle & all at ‘The Village Vets’ who kept that engine going for as long as they could. But some hearts are just too big to be here too long. Love you forever little man, your Mama, Papa & sister Toto xxx”

The family went through a tough time (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Dermot O’ Leary on ‘most traumatic’ time

Several years later, Dermot reflected on the passing of Silver. During an appearance on the podcast Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth, Dermot was asked what is the “most traumatic” thing he has gone through.

He said: “I’m going to give you a strange one, because I’ve lost grandparents and I’m very fortunate to still have my parents but in 2016, I woke up at 4am to this shrill meow outside.

“It was our cat Silver and it was in late-mid December, it was pouring down with rain and the poor cat had crawled his way back to our house and I thought he had been hit by a car.”

After taking Silver to the vet, Dermot was told the cat had suffered a saddle thrombus.

‘It was the first loss I had in a very long time’

Reflecting on the heartbreaking moment, he continued: “We’re told, very starkly at four in the morning, that this will affect his quality of life and the chances are you should probably put him down.”

Dermot didn’t make the decision there and then. He decided to leave paralysed Silver with the vet on oxygen, painkillers and blood thinners.

The cat began showing signs of improvement though, as Silver had pain sensation in both his paws and had started to move.

Dubbed a “Christmas miracle”, Silver was taken home where he remained alive for a further six months. However, the cat died in Dermot’s wife’s arms.

“That stark moment, it was the first loss I had in a very long time even though it was a cat, it was still a family member,” Dermot recalled.

He went on: “When he died actually, it was sad, but we had then had a chance to get our heads around it.”