Who is John Oliver’s wife Kate Norley? The Iraq War veteran and former US Army doctor met the Last Week Tonight host at the 2008 Republican National Convention after she helped him hide from security

Feb 26 , 2025

British comedian John Oliver and his wife Kate Norley met in unusual circumstances. Photo: FilmMagic for HBO/Max

John Oliver may not be happy that Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dominating the news cycle as his Emmy-winning show returns, but you may be surprised to know his wife was a Republican in the past

As John Oliver returns to our screens for the 12th season of his news show Last Week Tonight, viewers won’t be surprised to learn that he’s been as distressed as any one else who didn’t vote for Donald Trump in recent weeks.

“We’re trying to land on something that is uplifting in a way that you can stand on. [We can’t say] everything is going to be all right when clearly it is not,” he told USA Today when asked how his show will help at a time when many feel hopeless.

At the end of the last season Oliver said he was hoping for “less Elon Musk” in 2025 – something else that hasn’t panned out. “I think I might just stop wishing for things,” he joked to the publication. “There’s a genie with a very sick sense of humour somewhere. We’re getting more and more of him to a medically inadvisable degree.”

Although Oliver has previously voiced his support for Democratic candidates including Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, some may be surprised to hear that his wife, Kate Norley, has previously campaigned for Republican causes, per People magazine.

The Emmy award-winning TV personality has reportedly become more politically open minded since meeting his wife, telling The Boston Globe that she is an “American with a capital A”.

Here’s what we know about her:

What is Kate Norley’s background?

Norley was raised by an affluent family in Virginia and went to a boarding school called Episcopal High School in Alexandria.

According to People, her stepfather Dennis Mannion was a sports executive for the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL. Being part of a large, blended family, Mannion would reportedly refer to their clan as “The Brady Brunch”.