ITV have allegedly found full-time replacements for Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby after the pair stepped down as hosts of the show in 2023.
Willoughby stepped down from her role as co-host of This Morning in October after 14 years.
This came just months after fellow former host Phillip Schofield walked away from ITV and This Morning after an alleged off-air rift with Willoughby and reports he'd had an affair with a younger male colleague.
This Morning has seen a range of replacement hosts fill in for the pair since their departures including Rylan Clark, Emma Willis, Rochelle Humes, Craig Doyle, Josie Gibson, Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary.
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, even stepped in as host for one show back in November.
The Crown's Ed McVey demonstrates the unique vocal technique he uses to master the perfect Prince William accent. 👑#ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/x4JJCTDaA4
— This Morning 🎄 (@thismorning) December 14, 2023
This week (December 11 to 15) there have been three different guest hosts on This Morning alongside O'Leary in Christine Lampard, Mollie King and Lisa Snowdon.
Who will replace Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on ITV's This Morning?
But now ITV has reportedly found long-term replacements for Schofield and Willoughby, according to The Sun.
Good Morning Britain's Ben Shephard and TV presenter Cat Deeley are said to be the preferred pair with both set for "big-money deals", the news outlet reported.
Shephard has already been linked to the role of Schofield's long-term replacement earlier in the year after the GMB presenter filled in on the show alongside Willoughby.
Now Deeley has been revealed as Willoughby's replacement after she impressed as host of the show in November.
A source, speaking to The Sun, said “Lots of people were considered. Ultimately it’s about chemistry.”
“This is one of the most coveted gigs in UK television. ITV execs are determined to get it right.
“Cat really impressed when she came in, and Ben is a consummate professional and hugely popular with the housewife demographic.
“He’s an extremely safe pair of hands, has real gravitas, and doesn’t have a whiff of scandal around him — he’s purer than pure.
“Cat is the number one target to replace Holly, but negotiations are ongoing.
“Lots of people were considered, but ultimately it’s all about chemistry.
“Everyone is very excited, and the sense is that Ben and Cat will be a real boost to morale on the ground.”
ITV has not confirmed that Shephard and Deeley will be Schofield and Willoughby's replacements with a spokesperson saying: "We don’t comment on speculation."
As for the likes of O'Leary and Hammond who have been a part of This Morning since before Schofield and Willoughby left, and Gibson (who has just taken part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here), The Sun revealed there may still be a place for them on the ITV show.
The source added: “Bosses are sure to take Dermot to one side, and make sure he remains happy. He’s very much a part of the show’s future, and is hugely liked by staff and production.
“Josie will get a new role on the show, and be bumped up to two days a week.”
TV insiders at The Sun added the re-launch of This Morning with Shephard and Deeley as hosts could happen as early as January or February 2024.
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