Cat Deeley breaks down in tears as Ben Shephard forced to take over This Morning interview

This Morning host Cat Deeley broke down in tears as she talked to a guest who spoke about his late dog saving his life in emotional scenes on Thursday.

During the latest instalment, Cat, 47, struggled to get her words out over the sad dog segment as she asked co-host Ben Shephard to take over her opening dialogue. During the interview, Cat and Ben, 49, were joined by three dogs in the studio with one joining them on the sofa as they spoke to guest Kerry Irving.

Cat - wife of RTE Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty - kept wiping away tears before composing herself with the guest also left emotional as they remembered their late pet pooch Max the miracle dog who sadly passed away in 2022 aged 14. Kerry adopted Max in 2008 after becoming seriously injured in a traffic collision two years earlier and suffering with severe depression.

Photos of Max out on his walks quickly became popular on social media and the dog became an Internet sensation, helping to raise nearly £300,000 for a number of charities, including PDSA. Max even won the animal equivalent of an OBE and has been immortalised in statue form in his hometown of Keswick, Cumbria.

This Morning host Cat Deeley broke down in tears as she talked to a guest who spoke about his late dog saving his life in emotional scenes on Thursday
(Image: ITV)

Kerry, who had Max trained as a therapy dog in 2016 and turned his daily walks into a Facebook Live during the pandemic to provide comfort during lockdown even raising almost £1m for charity, appeared on Thursday's This Morning to remember Max and talk about his new book Forever Max.

However, Cat got very emotional as she introduced the guest, saying: "In 2022, Max sadly passed away at the age of 14 but his legacy lives on, Kerry's fundraising continues" to which her voice broke, she added tearfully: "We were talking about dogs in the break. Er, he's got the spaniels, carry on, you read..."

Ben then took over as he introduced the three dogs and revealed Kerry has released another book, which is celebrating Max. Ben then explained Cat's tears, saying: "The reason Cat is getting upset is because the idea of losing a dog, you lost a dog you still think about all the time."

Later during the interview, Kerry got emotional too as he said to Cat: "We're not going to cry, are we Cat" to which the host insisted: "No, I'm definitely not going to do that!" Viewers were also left emotional as one person said: "Awful losing a dog mine was 16 when we had to put her to sleep #thismorning" while a different account put: "Dogs always know when someone is pain and needs comfort. They are such special animals. So glad this man and Max found each other and Max's legacy will always live on. What a beautiful, emotional story. #ThisMorning."