It’s official! After months of speculation, ITV has announced the official new presenters of This Morning, its flagship and longest running daytime show.
Following the departures of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby last year, the daytime show had been without a permanent host.
Back in May, Phillip Schofield announced he was stepping down from This Morning after 21 years, amid rumours in the press that he and co-host Holly Willoughby had fallen out behind the scenes.
Less than a week later, it was confirmed he had resigned from ITV altogether, after admitting to having lied to bosses about an affair with a younger colleague on the daytime show.
After an extended break, Holly eventually returned to This Morning where she co-presented with a series of guest hosts. However, she made the decision to leave the show in October, following an alleged plot to kidnap her.
Since then, This Morning has been fronted by a rotating mix of guest hosts, including Alison Hammond, Dermot O’Leary, Rylan Clark, Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Rochelle Humes and Emma Willis.
So, who’s stepping up to the plate?
Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley are set to join the This Morning family next month.
The news was announced via a bespoke promo on This Morning’s social media pages, showing Ben walking down the familiar This Morning production corridor and placing a new photo of Cat on the wall, before turning to the camera as the photo comes to life – with Cat giving viewers one of her signature winks.
Expressing their joy of joining the This Morning presenting team on a regular basis, Ben said: “This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning. It’s an honour to be trusted with the reigns, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen and do such a great job.
“For the last ten years I’ve been waking up with our ITV daytime audience on GMB and I now look forward to spending time with Cat, welcoming the viewers home after the school run or from their early morning routines, with a cup of tea and a mix of everything that makes This Morning so loved.”
Meanwhile, Deeley, who called the daytime show “a national institution”, added:
“Whenever [This Morning] is on, it’s like having your friends over - funny, smart, silly, heartfelt, informative and joyful - like all the greatest friendships!
“This Morning is and always will be the viewer’s show. Ben and I both know how much people love it, and with the help of an amazing team of people, we’re going to do our best to take care of it.”
Ben and Cat will make their debut hosting This Morning next month and will front the Monday to Thursday shows, with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary on Fridays.