Noel Fitzpatrick seeks younger wife and children as practice reports losses

TV's Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick, 57, has publicly said he is emotionally ready to become a father and is searching for a much younger partner to help him start a family. In a wide-ranging interview with The Times, the Irish veterinary surgeon said he would love to meet someone between 30 and 40 and have a kid — or a couple of kids — adding that he believes he would be a good father because of his morals and his love for children. He has long discussed the difficulty of forming lasting romantic relationships, noting in the past that he often felt he was not fully prepared for marriage.

Noel Fitzpatrick, who rose to fame as Channel 4's The Supervet, lives with his two cats near Guildford in Surrey. He told The Times he is now open to the prospect of a family and is actively seeking a partner who fits his age preference. The comments come as he reflects on his personal life and his ambitions for the future beyond clinical work.

Beyond the personal dimension, Fitzpatrick also acknowledged that his business has faced financial headwinds. He said that anyone reviewing his company accounts on Companies House would see a financial loss, noting that his practice is open seven days a week, 24/7 and that the operation is hurting. He described his aim as simply to survive as a veterinary practice while continuing to serve animals and their owners. He also hinted at a long-term plan that goes beyond treating animals in the present.

In addition to the clinical work, Fitzpatrick is contemplating how his life’s work could live on in the digital age. He is exploring the development of an artificial intelligence avatar designed to embody his veterinary knowledge and experience. The concept would draw on decades of televised surgeries, academic publications, public lectures, and digital content, with the intention of creating a digital version of himself that could educate and inspire future generations after he is gone.

The vet tends to keep his personal life private, but public interest has followed him through years of high-profile relationships. It is believed he was previously linked to Michaela, a woman who worked at his Fitzpatrick Referral Centre in Surrey, and in the 1990s–2000s he was associated with singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis, who wrote such hits as Spice Girls' Wannabe and Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head. Fitzpatrick has described his past relationships as long-term but never culminating in marriage, explaining in his 2018 novel that he sometimes finds human relationships difficult. He wrote that he sometimes feels self-centered compared to his devotion to animals, which he has described as a lifeline in difficult times.

The Irish vet has been open about his childhood trauma, describing in various interviews how he suffered prolonged sexual abuse at a farm laborer when he was five years old. He said this experience left him emotionally crippled for years, and he has spoken publicly about how forming trust with people was challenging. In a BBC Breakfast interview in 2022, Fitzpatrick said he had spent years running from the trauma but found solace in his work and in animals, which became his lifeline as he navigated depression and attempted to build a sense of normalcy. He emphasized that discussing these experiences publicly was not for sensationalism but to help others facing similar struggles.

The professional arc of Fitzpatrick’s life spans education, advocacy, and innovation. He graduated in veterinary medicine in 1990 from University College Dublin and moved to England in 1993, where he established Fitzpatrick Referrals in Guildford, a practice that treats thousands of animals each year and employs more than 170 staff. The clinic’s work has been chronicled in BBC and Channel 4 programs, including The Bionic Vet in 2010 and The Supervet since 2014. He has earned multiple honors, including honorary doctorates from the University of Surrey and the University of Bath, and in 2009 he achieved a Guinness World Record for successfully applying an amputation prosthesis to a cat named Oscar, a milestone that highlighted his pioneering approach to small-animal orthopedics.

Looking ahead, Fitzpatrick has spoken about a desire to protect his legacy and ensure that his animal-care philosophy endures beyond his lifetime. The AI-avatar concept represents part of that effort — a potential digital mentor who could continue to share his expertise with students, veterinarians, and animal lovers around the world. He frames the project not as a vanity venture but as a possible way to advance veterinary education and animal welfare in an increasingly digital era.

As the public learns more about his personal ambitions and professional plans, Fitzpatrick’s story continues to intertwine themes of resilience, reinvention, and the evolving relationship between science, entertainment, and technology. The Supervet has long been known for his passion for animals and for pushing the boundaries of veterinary medicine, and his latest reflections shed light on how he hopes to balance personal happiness with a career that has made him a household name.