ITV This Morning bosses decide on permanent hosts following 'revolving door' of presenters
dailyrecord.co.ukITV bosses are said to have finally settled on who they want to become the full-time hosts of This Morning following months of various presenters fronting the flagship breakfast show in the wake of Holly Willoughby's departure.It comes as Holly's co-star Phillip Schofield also stepped down from This Morning after admitting to an affair with a younger male colleague, as producers have been busy trying to piece together who would replace the duo permanently.The broadcaster has road-tested a number of candidates with Alison Hammond, Josie Gibson, Emma Willis, Christine Lampard, Rylan Clark and Dermot O'Leary just a few of the stars to stand in on the show.Ben Shephard and Cat Deely, 47, have also hosted and it now appears ITV have settled on the duo staying full-time, according to the Mirror, which will come as a blow to Good Morning Britain who will need to replace the 49-year-old from his role.
The new duo are understood to be earning £550,000 each a year and a source told The Sun: "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 - Cat is the number one target to replace Holly, but negotiations are ongoing." They will bring a real boost to morale among the team, the insider went on, with an announcement reportedly weeks away.
It comes as This Morning staff slammed the “unfair witch hunt” last week that has rocked the show after it was cleared of having a toxic culture. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest
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