Cat Deeley close to tears as her 'biological age' is revealed live on air by doctor

Cat Deeley was on the verge of tears after a "nightmare" test carried out by doctors confirmed her "biological" age live on air.

The presenter was back in her usual slot on This Morning alongside Ben Shephard on Thursday for her final show before a summer break, and she and her co-host were intrigued to be learning of the notion of lowering one's age to fully understand health and lifespan. Dr Alka Patel, 53, explained to the pair that she has been able to define herself as a 20-year-old in a biological sense since a birthday is nothing more than a "chronological age", whereas a "biological age" is more to do with the health of a person's cells and is more of an "inner age".

Describing the practice as "younger ageing", she explained that it all correlates to a lifespan and health overall. Both Ben, 50, and Cat , 48, had undergone the blood test - which takes into account their overall health and wellness, to determine a new number for them, and the former model was on the verge of tears as she watched results come in, and wasn't feeling too confident about what the test would find.

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Admitting what a hellish process the test had been to start with, she said: "It was a nightmare for me, doctors only had to attempt it twice. I was crying. I'm a terrible sleeper, but I'm very healthy, I eat well and I drink loads of water, and I do yoga. I could be like Gary Oldman in Dracula!"

As the TV stars watched the numbers go down, Ben exclaimed: "She's still going, I want a recount," and when the number finally stopped going down, Cat said that she "might cry," it was revealed that her biological age is actually 33, making her 15 years younger than she actually is.

Describing her shock at the result given her lack of sleep, she said: "I might cry, I might actually cry. I don't know how I've done it because I certainly don't sleep and that is one of the most important factors!"

On the other hand, Ben was a little disappointed that his biological age came back at just four years younger as he protested that he is very conscious of his health and wellbeing at this stage in life. The doctor's solution for this was to "be more Goldilocks", and this prompted a laugh from his co-host, who joked that he would need a wig and a bowl of porridge to be able to do that.

Despite this, the Tipping Point host admitted that he just wants to focus on fitness for the sake of his mental health, as he explained: "For me, the health and wellness is much more important for me mentally rather than how I feel with the physical side of things."

Ben celebrated his 50th birthday in December 2024 and, to mark the occasion, he bravely agreed to pose topless for the magazine's cover, but during a recent appearance on ITV's Lorraine, he gave fans an update on health where he admitted things aren't quite what they were when it comes to his body.

The TV favourite couldn't help but show his embarrassment as he sat with the Scottish presenter, who showcased the cover across screens for all to see. The conversation then turned to what it meant for Ben to grace the cover of Men's Health for a second time in his career.

"You look fantastic but I know you work so hard to maintain your health and fitness," Lorraine effused, while Ben admitted that although he's in great shape, hitting middle age has made him realise the need to put in extra effort.

On the topic of his current well-being, Ben remarked: "I'm very grateful to still be able to still be able to be fit and health and I know I've got various issues and my body's not quite what it used to be." However, he stopped short of detailing the specific issues he's dealing with.

This Morning continues on ITV1 from 10am every weekday and is available to stream back on ITVX.