ITV has announced that Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard will be taking over as the new presenters of This Morning.
The pair will replace departed longtime hosting duo, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
Schofield and Willoughby stepped down from their presenting roles at the troubled show in May and October respectively – with Schofield first thought to have chosen to depart after reports of a rift with Willoughby, but a week later, publicly admitted to lying about having an affair with a younger colleague during his time at ITV.
Willoughby, on the other hand, left her role several months later and cited taking time “for me and my family” as her reason.
The broadcasting company announced the news exclusively on the official This Morning social media channels earlier today, with a specially-made commercial introducing the two seasoned presenters and confirming their new roles.
Deeley and Shephard have been two of a rotating lineup of guest presenters of the show in recent months, but have now been confirmed to be taking over permanently.
“This really feels like a very special moment for Cat and I to be part of the next chapter of This Morning,” Shephard commented as his new permanent presenting role was announced today.
It's official! Say hello to our new #ThisMorning presenters! 👋 Welcome to the family. We can’t wait to see you soon! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/GU0RNd6hfF
— This Morning (@thismorning) February 16, 2024
“It’s an honour to be trusted with the reins, join Alison and Dermot and all the team that work on and off screen, and do such a great job.
“For the last 10 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.”
Cat added: “This Morning is a national institution.
“Whenever it’s 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.”
Deeley and Shephard will make their debut hosting This Morning next month, and will front the Monday to Thursday shows.
Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will then present on Fridays.
Speaking on Deeley and Shephard’s new roles, Emma Gormley – who is the Managing Director at ITV Studios Daytime – said: “I feel immensely proud of everyone working on This Morning, as for a programme that has evolved many times over the last 35 years, it remains just as relevant and exciting as ever.
“We are thrilled to have Ben and Cat as our new This Morning hosts, and cannot wait to see them on that famous sofa together soon.”
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