Inside The Celebrity Traitors star Cat Burns's life off-screen – from her music career to relationship status

Cat was born in Streatham, south London, on 6 June 2000. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she grew up with her mum and sister. Cat's musical talent was recognised early on, and she went on to attend the prestigious BRIT School, whose alumni include Adele, Tom Holland, Amy Winehouse and Loyle Carner.

When asked how she first got into music, Cat told F Word Magazine: "My Mum is a singer also, she loves to sing and she was playing music all over the house all the time, so I think I've always been singing. But I didn't realise I wanted to be a singer until I was about 11 and then I was like: 'Okay no, this is what I really want to do.' Before then it was basketball, but I was like: 'No, no, I want to do music now."

It was at the early age of 16 when Cat released her debut EP, Adolescent, and she later found fame in 2022 on TikTok with her viral song Go – which describes walking away from a relationship. 

From there, Cat went from strength to strength, supporting various artists including Years & Years, Sam Smith and even Ed Sheeran on his Mathematics tour. 

In 2023, Cat performed at the iconic Glastonbury festival and released her debut album, Early Twenties, in July 2024. Her second album, How to Be Human, came out on 31 October and she performed its lead single on the Strictly Come Dancing results show the same week.

Speaking to MTV, Cat opened up about her journey to understanding her sexuality. "When I came out as bi I genuinely did believe it," she said. "And then I read the document and I was like: 'Oh I am not bisexual'. And then I think I called myself queer for a long time. I think lesbians – not all lesbians, I don't speak for everyone – but I think there was a minute we all kind of struggled to use the word. I think the word has been used by straight people as a diss or… it felt loaded. Until I kind of unpacked that within myself. And I was like: 'But you are one.'" 

She continued: "I think the Black queer experience is slightly different in coming into yourself and being able to to label yourself so I think it just took me a minute to really truly accept that, and then be able to say it."

In an interview with Attitude, Cat also revealed how TikTok played a part in her self-realisation: "It was the beginning of lockdown, and I was on TikTok, which liked to do a thing back then where it would… tell you you're gay. It would show random videos, and if you interact with it, they're like, 'Oh – it seems like you like this stuff…' I got fed a lot of videos and was like: 'This makes sense.'"

Upon releasing her new album, Cat made the difficult decision to postpone her upcoming UK tour – originally set to kick off on 10 November at the O2 Academy in Glasgow – to prioritise her wellbeing.

"This album and tour mean the world to me," she wrote on her Instagram story. "It's been a massive journey getting ready to share 'How To Be Human' with you. I can't believe it's nearly here!! But unfortunately the build-up has been a lot more intense than any of us expected, so myself and my team have made the difficult decision to move the How To Be Human Tour to April 2026."

"Touring is incredibly demanding mentally and physically, and I want to make sure I'm taking care of my wellbeing so I'm in the right headspace to give you the show you deserve. When I step on stage, I really want to feel my best and give you a night that feels worth every moment of waiting."

After confirming the new dates – with one Wolverhampton stop replaced by a Birmingham show – she signed off: "Thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding through this! These decisions are never easy and I don't take your support for granted! I can't wait to see you soon and make these shows everything they should be. Love, Cat x"