The following article appears in the May 2000 issue of MAXIM, and is copyright 2000 Dennis Publishing.

Top Cat

She's the top, she's the tip, she's the championship - and you voted her Maxim Woman of the Year. Meet Cat Deeley, the indisputable leader of our gang.

So how do you feel about all those Maxim readers showering you with their affections?
I really can't believe all this attention. All I do is go on telly, have a laugh, try and be myself and not get too high and mighty. God help me if I ever get up my own arse. But that's never going to happen with the likes of Ant and Dec around.

Do they share your changing room?
We share a make-up room but it makes no odds because there are so many costume changes, we're always running around in our underwear. But we're all mates so we've got used to it. They're very gentlemanly and avert their gaze if I'm nearly starkers.

Fools. Do you get loads of letters from blokes who, shall we say, always make sure they're up early to watch the show?
I get a real cross-section from little kids, dads and women. Luckily they keep any scary stuff away from me. There was one Belgian guy who was obviously off his head because he'd write down all these weird thoughts in different coloured pens and then stick them to this triangular bit of paper, which made up some sort of spell - it was real devil worshipping stuff and very scary. At least he was from Belgium. If he'd been from down the road, I would have shown it to the police. I don't mind a bit of criticism but, I'm sorry, I'm not having anything satanistic.

Perhaps he took the S&M in SM:TV to mean something else. So what's it to be, rubber or leather?
Leather every time. Rubber looks good but it doesn't do anything for me. No, let's have the real thing - give me some leather gear.

If you didn't have to get up early on a Saturday morning, who would you like to be tucked up in bed with?
That's a tricky one because I'm in an on-off relationship at the moment. But I've had the hots for loads of people that we've interviewed. We had Ricky Martin and Tom Jones on the same show and I thought Ricky was going to be the 'Phwoar!' one, but Tom won it pants down. He's so manly, smells of aftershave and has got such a twinkle in hi eye. But whoever I went for, I would actually much prefer to be in bed on a Saturday afternoon. That's when I'm more mellow and more in the mood.

Would Tom have knon you had the hots for him? How's your flirting?
I'm crap at giving out signs because if I really fancy someone I won't even look at them. It's OK if it's an interview situation because you almost have to flirt with them - whether it's a man or a woman. If I'm out on the town a little smile often does the trick, but I'm an approachable girl. I'm not one of those people who sits in the corner trying to be cool. I'll be the one dancing on the table making an arse of myself or doing something horrendous with Noddy Holder - which I'm forbidden to tell anyone about.

What are you like when you're drunk?
I'm pretty lairy and loud at the best of times so there's not actually a lot of difference. But before it all gets too out of hand, I'll probably have stuck something into my mouth.

Specifics please...
Well I've got a huge mouth and my party piece is getting a whole orange, apple or my fist into it. If I'm in the pub and I've had a few then I'll usually get the top of a pint glass into my mouth. The whole circumference right in there.

Could you get a whole sausage in your mouth?
I presume we're not talking chipolatas here.

No, the big thick meaty ones. With maybe a couple of items of veg.
Yeah, as long as I lick my lips first I can get anything in there.

Are pop stars as clueless as us when it comes to asking women out?
Yeah, most of them are pretty hopeless. But it never usually happens like that. I've hung out with a few but only because if we've all been working together we tend to end up at the same places and then you just start chatting about stuff. But I wouldn't say pop stars hit on me - that's just stuff the papers make up.

So you never went out with Huey from the Funlovin' Criminals?
Er, OK, maybe there was a grain of truth in that one. Actually make that a few concrete blocks of truth. We met at MTV but because he lives in New York and I'm over here, it was difficult to see much of each other so we just used to spend ages on the phone. The whole thing was difficult but a lot of fun.

Describe the perfect bedroom for passion.
Room 16 at the Portobello Hotel. It's very colonial in its decor and very conducive for unbridled passion.

And how did you get to discover it?
Er, a friend told me about it.

Yeah, right. So if a bloke was going to dress up for you in Room 16, what would you have him wear?
I'm tempted to say dress as Austin Powers - I hate all that cliched fireman's outfit stuff. I'd much prefer someone who was up for a laugh. You've got to have a sense of humour about sex. When you look at it, it's all pretty ridiculous, isn't it? I'd much rather have a guy just completely surprise me otherwise it's like someone coming up to you and asking what you want for your birthday. It's better if it's a surprise. Then I'd either laugh or just grab them and say, 'Come on then. Right here, right now.'

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Interview by Graham Wray

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