ITV has announced the new presenting duo for daytime TV show This Morning.
Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley will be the new hosts of the show, the broadcaster has confirmed.
They will take over from the previous permanent hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, who both left ITV’s flagship morning show in 2023.
After Willoughby and Schofield left the show, ITV viewers were left wondering who would take up the roles.
ITV confirms new presenting duo for This Morning
The broadcaster confirmed on Instagram today (February 16) that Shephard and Deeley would be taking over the sofa.
The This Morning account shared a video of the pair in the studio with a caption that reads: “It’s official! Say hello to our new #ThisMorning presenters!
“Welcome to the family. We can’t wait to see you soon!”
Shephard, who has been a fixture on Good Morning Britain, 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 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.”
Deeley, who rose to fame as a presenter of ITV children’s music programme CD:UK along with Willoughby, called This Morning a “national institution”.
Deeley said: “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.”
Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond, who host This Morning on Fridays, were among the stars congratulating Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on their appointment as the show’s permanent presenters for the Monday to Thursday shows.
Commenting on an Instagram video announcing the news, O’Leary wrote: “Huzzah! Welcome to the fam,” while Hammond wrote: “So excited about this.”
TV presenter and former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! contestant Josie Gibson, who often features on This Morning, wrote: “I feel a work welcome party coming on!!!!!”.
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