Who Is John Oliver’s Wife? All About Kate Norley

John Oliver is well known on both sides of the Atlantic, but his favorite role is the husband of his wife, Kate Norley.

The English TV presenter began his career as a stand-up comedian in the UK before moving to New York City, where he worked on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and later became an American citizen. Since 2014, he has been leading Last week tonightwhich makes him a household name.

He met Norley in 2008, and they married three years later. The couple have since had two children, but have largely stayed out of the public eye.

Norley, a former US Army medic, has also appeared on TV to advocate for her fellow veterans, but has kept a low profile. However, that hasn’t stopped Oliver from expressing his pride in her — and sometimes jokes about the differences between their jobs.

Oliver joked in 2013 on The Late Show with David Letterman that his wife is “more valuable” than him and that she is “in charge” in their house.

“How do you think it goes when I come back from my days writing for a comedy show, writing jokes? You can see her eyes roll back in her head and she says ‘just shut up,'” he joked. “When you’ve been at war, you don’t have time for the insecurities of middle-class comedians.”

So who is John Oliver’s wife? Here’s everything you need to know about Kate Norley and her relationship with the comedian.

She grew up in Virginia

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Norley grew up in Virginia and attended Episcopal High School, a boarding school in Alexandria, according to Stars and Stripes.

She grew up in a wealthy family. Her stepfather, Dennis Mannion, was an athletic director in the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL. According to the NBA, Dennis married Pam, Norley’s mother, when Norley was a child. Dennis compared their family to The Brady Group — when Dennis and Pam got married, he had two sons, she had two daughters, and later they had another child together.

At the age of 16, she survived a serious traffic accident

When Norley was 16, she was hit by a car while riding her bicycle and suffered a head injury, writes Stars and Stripes. As a result, she had to relearn various cognitive skills, including reading and writing.

However, she made a full recovery and decided to drop out of college to join the military in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

She is an Iraq war veteran and former US Army medic

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Norley joined the military after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which she recalled at a 2008 American Veterans Affairs conference as the “scariest day” of her life. I had no idea what was going on, she said. “But I felt I had to react.”

At the same conference, she advocated for the recognition and support of female veterans. She said that when she returned home from abroad, she did not hear about the women and the sacrifices they made while serving.

She worked in the army as a paramedic and mental health specialist. “If they told me tomorrow I could go home … I wouldn’t be happy that I’m done with what I set out to do,” she told Stars and Stripes. “I’m doing things I never dreamed I was capable of.”

During her deployment, Norley helped both soldiers and locals near Camp Blackjack in Iraq, and has since returned to visit there. While there, she met Eaman al-Gobory, who was studying at the University of Baghdad. Years later, Norley and al-Gobory were reunited when al-Gobory received the International Courage Award at the White House for her work helping sick and wounded children, per Washingtonian.

She met Oliver at the 2008 Republican National Convention

Norley met Oliver at the 2008 Republican National Convention, where she was campaigning with Vets for Freedom and he was working on a story for daily show, he shared further The Late Show with David Letterman In 2013, Oliver entered a restricted area and was chased by security. Because he still had a temporary work visa, his arrest would put him at risk of deportation.

According to The Daily Beast, a group of veterans — including Norley — helped Oliver and his crew hide from security. The couple started emailing before they started dating.

She advocates more funding for veterans

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In 2008, Norley went on a tour raising support for American soldiers with the organization Vets for Freedom, according to NPR. The group was founded in 2006 by veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to advocate for political candidates who support veterans. In 2007, Norley appeared on Fox News to advocate for more military funding.

Norley is also involved with Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization that sends veterans and emergency responders around the world to help after natural disasters. As captured by Going Home Pictures, she traveled to the Philippines in 2013 to provide medical aid and logistical support after Typhoon Haiyan destroyed much of the island of Leyte.

Oliver proposed to her in 2010

The couple got engaged while vacationing in the Caribbean in July 2010. “We were in St. Thomas on vacation,” Oliver told PEOPLE.

“I was a medic in the Army,” Norley added. “It was hard, but now it’s nice to be able to spend time with the love of my life.”

“It’s the most embarrassing thing I could do to go out with someone who has actually done something worthwhile with their life,” Oliver added jokingly.

She married Oliver in 2011

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The couple married a year later in 2011. Norley and Oliver kept their wedding a secret.

She is the mother of two sons

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Norley and Oliver have two children: Hudson, born in 2015, and another son, born in 2018.

In 2017, Oliver spoke about Hudson, who was born prematurely, on Last week tonight. “I have a son. He’s 19 months old, he was born prematurely after a very difficult pregnancy and I’m worried about his health and I’m still very worried about his health,” he said.

Oliver casually announced the birth of his second child at the 2018 Emmy Awards Governor’s Ball, when the boy was 3 months old. Oliver described having two children as “the best” experience.

“It’s confusing [and] exhausting juggling that and the show, but no, it’s the best,” he told PEOPLE.

He added that his boy isn’t doing anything of note, other than “sleeping, singing and crying, in perfect rotation,” but did give an update on his older child.

“He will start preschool. It’s going to be amazing,” Oliver said.

He added that this milestone could be emotional for him. “As a Brit, I don’t really have a middle ground – either there’s no emotion or I’m in tears,” he said. “So there will probably be another.”

She fought for republican goals

As seen on Last week tonightOliver may have endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, but when he and Norley met, she was campaigning for Republican candidates.

Oliver has been politically outspoken since meeting Norley. He described his wife as “American with a capital ‘A'”. The Boston Globe and added that he is now more “defensive” towards the country he fought for.

“I’m a little more defensive about how America is perceived abroad,” he told the newspaper in 2014. “America takes a lot of s—, mostly well-earned, from the rest of the world. And yet, when something terrible happens, people wait for the Americans to fall from the sky and help them.”

As a tribute to his wife and her service, Oliver sometimes wears a 1st Cavalry Division badge, even wearing it at his 2013 appearance. The Late Show with David Letterman.

She and Oliver attended the 75th Emmy Awards

In January 2024, Norley accompanied Oliver to the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, where Last week tonight won two awards.

“Thank you to my wife, Kate, for being here tonight. I love you so much,” the TV host said while accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Series.

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Source: HIS Education