TV personalities Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard have been revealed as the new hosts of ITV’s daytime show, This Morning. They will be taking over from Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, who left the show in May and October respectively. The departure of Schofield and Willoughby was marked by controversy, with Schofield admitting to an affair with a younger colleague and Willoughby citing personal reasons for her exit.
Deeley and Shephard, who have previously guest-hosted the show, expressed their excitement about becoming permanent hosts. Shephard mentioned his decade-long experience with ITV’s morning audience on Good Morning Britain and looked forward to working with Deeley. Deeley, who gained fame hosting SMTV with Ant & Dec and was nominated for an Emmy for So You Think You Can Dance?, referred to This Morning as a “national institution”.
The pair will start their new roles next month, presenting the show from Monday to Thursday. Other presenters who have appeared on This Morning recently include Alison Hammond, Josie Gibson, Craig Doyle, Emma Willis, Christine Lampard, Rylan Clark, and Dermot O’Leary. Hammond and O’Leary will continue to host on Fridays.
The show has faced allegations of a toxic work environment, with former contributor Dr Ranj Singh also speaking out about the issue. However, ITV’s chief executive has denied these claims. Despite these controversies, This Morning continues to draw approximately 800,000 viewers daily.
