BBC's Edith Bowman reveals truth behind Cat Deeley 'romance' rumours

has spoken out about the rumours that she dated in the 90s. The Scottish broadcaster, now 50, has been friends with Deeley for decades. The pair first worked together at before going on to co-host Hitlist UK and later Hit Music Sunday on .

Their frequent outings together, including one time when they were papped leaving London's Met Bar looking a little tipsy, sparked rumours that the duo were secretly dating. But Edith insists the reality was far more innocent.

In a new interview with , she shared: "We did get a bit of attention, Cat and I. There're a few dodgy pictures. We were - and still are - really good mates. And we liked going out. But suddenly [the story] was Cat and I are a lesbian couple and stuff. It's so lazy."

Bowman previously spoke about the same rumours in 2022 during an appearance on Angela Scanlon's Thanks a Million podcast. She said: "Photographs of us kind of holding each other up, coming out of the Met Bar or whatever, was because we were p****d.

"It wasn't because we were like, licking each other's faces off. We are in love, but as friends kind of thing. It's so bizarre."

Edith began dating Editors frontman Tom Smith in 2005 and married him in 2013. The couple have two sons together, Rudy and Spike. Meanwhile Cat has been married to comedian and TV host Patrick Kielty since 2012, and they are also parents to two boys, Milo and James.

Edith went on to reveal that she turned down offers to appear in lads' mags in her heyday, and is grateful for that decision now. She added: "In hindsight, it's the best thing I've ever did, because I think it's one of the things that allows me that level of anonymity that I still have in my private life. If I'd done more of them, I would have been much more tabloid fodder."

These days Edith is fronting Cinematic Soundtracks on BBC Radio 3 Unwind, while Cat is co-hosting with Ben Shephard after years of TV success in both the UK and US. She has worked on programmes like Fame Academy, , and So You Think You Can Dance.

The duo now co-host the BBC podcast Friends Will Be Friends, which celebrates the merits of enduring friendships. When announcing the show, they shared: "Ours has survived time, distance and working together for 20 years. Long may it continue."